Optical properties of Nd3+-doped phosphate glasses

Multi-component phosphate glasses with various Nd2O3 content have been prepared using conventional melt-quenching technique. X-ray diffraction was carried out to study the structure of the prepared samples and it was found that all the obtained samples are amorphous. Electrostatic F-(2), F-(4), F-(6), and spin-orbit parameters have been determined from the absorption spectra. Judd-Ofelt theory has been used to analyze and evaluate the radiative transition probability, branching ratio, and radiative lifetime for the metastable level F-4(3/2). Luminescence spectra and experimental lifetimes give information regarding the absence of chemical clustering and suggest that the physical clustering is negligible making the glass a suitable candidate for photonic applications.