PREPARATION, PROCESSING, AND FLUORESCENCE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEODYMIUM-DOPED SILICA GLASS PREPARED BY THE SOL-GEL PROCESS

For high-powered laser applications silica glass has favorable thermal and mechanical properties. However, the limited solubility of neodymium oxide in silica has prevented its use without the addition of other components, both to increase the solubility of the neodymium oxide and to reduce processing temperatures, minimizing impurities such as platinum inclusions. The preparation of up to 20 wt% Nd-doped silica has been reported recently using the sol-process, and the fluorescence spectrum of a one weight per cent composition was given (E.J.A. Pope and J.D. Mackenzie, J. Non-Cryst. Solids 106 (1988) 236). In this paper, the preparation and thermal processing of 3-5 wt% compositions, including BET, density, thermal and spectral analyses, are reported. The fluorescence spectrum of the material and its fluorescence lifetime are then correlated with TEM/EDS results. © 1990.