Nd3+-doped lanthanum lead boro-tellurite glass for lasing and amplification applications

Nd3+-doped lanthanum lead boro-tellurite glass samples were prepared by conventional melt quenching method and their structural, thermal, fluorescence, and decay times of the glasses were investigated. Prepared glass samples exhibits amorphous nature and shows good thermal stability in the temperature range of 100-800 degrees C. Judd-Ofelt (JO) analysis was carried out and the intensity parameters (Omega(lambda = 2, 4, 6)) also spontaneous radiative probability and stimulated-.emission cross-sections were estimated. The magnitude of Omega(lambda) confirms the covalency nature. The near infrared emission spectra were measured by 808 nm excitation in which the emission intensity is found to be high at 1060 nm for the F-4(3/2) -> F-4(11/2) transition. The stimulated cross section, effective band width and branching ratios are found to be 8.910 x 10(-20) cm(2), 21.57 nm and 53.72 % respectively, for F-4(3/2) -> F-4(11/2) transition. The derived gain bandwidth, figure of merit, threshold and saturation intensity found to be comparable to some of the glass systems. Furthermore, the time decay rate found to decrease from 100 its to 27 mu s when the concentration increased from 0.1 to 3.0 mol% of Nd3+ ions and also all follow the single exponential behaviour which is attributed to the self quenching effect due to the cross-relaxation channels. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.