Thermal analysis, spectra and laser properties of a new Yb3+-doped multicomponential tellurite-based glass

A series of new glasses of 70TeO(2)-(20 - x) ZnC -xGeO(2)-5La(2)O(3)-2.5K(2)O-2.5Na(2)O (mol%) doped with Yb3+ is presented. Thermal analysis, spectra and laser properties of Yb3+ ions have been measured. It is found that 70TeO(2)-20GeO(2)-5La(2)O(3)-2.5K(2)O-2.5Na(2)O composition glass had better thermal stability than 75TeO(2)-20ZnO-5Na(2)O glass, higher stimulated emission cross-section of 1.23 pm(2) for the F-2(5/2) --> F-2(7/2) transition close to PN glass, lower minimum 2 pump intensity of 0.98 KW/cm, long fluorescence lifetime of 0.92 ms and the broad fluorescence effective line width of 77 nm. Evaluated from the good potential laser parameters, this system glass is a promising host of miniature solid lasers such as short pulse generation in diode pumped lasers, short pulse generation tunable lasers, high-peak power and high-average power lasers, etc. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.