New Er3+ doped antimony oxide based glasses: Thermal analysis, structural and spectral properties

The novel oxide glass compositions based on Sb2O3 are elaborated and characterized, in the system (90-X)Sb2O3-10Na(2)O-XBi2O3 (SNB). We are interested in bismuth rates incorporated into the glass, its effect on the different physical properties that have been measured, and especially, in radiative and spectroscopic properties of erbium doped SNB glasses. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurements show an improvement of the stability factor, Delta T, of the glasses, which can indicate a reinforcement of the network. Both FTIR and Raman spectra have also been considered in terms of bismuth influence. As a function of composition, we have principally measured optical absorption, visible and infrared emission, and lifetime. The Judd-Ofelt parameters measured from the absorption spectra have been used to calculate the radiative lifetime (tau(r)) and the stimulated emission cross section. The spectroscopic quality factor chi = Omega(4)/Omega(6) = 0.73, low phonon energy of similar to 600-700 cm(-1), a reduced quenching effect, and a high quantum efficiency of 90% for the 1.53 mm measured emission, by pumping at 980 nm, are in favor of promising laser applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.