Investigation on Tm3+-doped silicate glass for 1.8 μm emission

A Tm3+-doped silicate glass (SiO2-CaO-Na2O-K2O) with good thermal stability is prepared by the melt-quenching method. Intense 1.8 mu m emission is obtained when pumped by an 808 nm laser diode. Based on the measured absorption spectra, radiative properties are predicted using Judd-Ofelt theory and Judd-Ofelt parameters Omega(lambda) (lambda=2, 4, 6), as well as absorption and emission cross-sections are calculated and analyzed. The difference between the measured Tm3+:F-3(4) lifetime and the calculated lifetime is also discussed. The emission property together with good thermal property indicates that Tm3+-doped silicate glass is a potential kind of laser glass for efficient 2 mu m laser. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.