Luminescence properties of Nd3+:: TeO2-B2O3-P2O5-Li2O glass

An IR transmitting circular glass window of Nd3+-doped borophosphate-tellurite system in the following chemical composition (mol%) was prepared: 65TeO(2) + 12B(2)O(3) + 12P(2)O(5) + 10Li(2)O + 1Nd(2)O(3). For this Nd3+-doped (heavy metal glass) optical material, besides the determination of density and refractive indices, an absorption spectrum (350-3200 nm) at 300 K was obtained. Based on the estimated refractive indices (n(F), n(d) and n(c)) at three different wavelengths (486.1, 589.1 and 656.3 nm), the glass dispersive power (nu(d)) and non-linearity characteristic factors (n(2), gamma ) were examined. Parameterization of the elastic constants of this glass was done from the measurement of longitudinal and shear velocities. From the measured absorption band positions, energy level structure (E-k, F-k, xi(4F), alpha, beta, gamma, <(beta)over bar> and delta%) parameters and from the recorded spectral profiles, oscillator strengths were computed. Both the measured and computed band energies are correlated satisfactorily with an rms deviation of +/-89 cm(-1). By applying the Judd-Ofelt paramcterization, the radiative (A, A(T), T-R) factors of the luminescent transitions (F-4(3/2) --> I-4(13/2, 11/2, 9/2)) of the glass were evaluated. Temperature dependent luminescence spectral analyses were carried out in the temperature range of 10-300 K to understand the fluorescence efficiency of a prominent lasing transition (F-4(3/2) --> I-4(11/2)) at 1.06 mu m and for the other two transitions (F-4(3/2)-->I-4(9/2), I-13/2) at 0.89 and 1.33 mu m as well. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.