title: Concentration-dependent studies of Nd3+-doped zinc phosphate glasses for NIR photoluminescence at 1.05 μm.
abstract: Nd3+-doped lead-free zinc phosphate glasses with the chemical compositions (60-x) NH4H2PO4+ 20ZnO + 10BaF2+ 10NaF + xNd2O3(where x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mol%) were prepared using a melt quenching technique. Vibrational bands were assigned and clearly elucidated by Raman spectral profiles for all the glass samples. Judd-Ofelt (J-O) intensity parameters (Ωλ: λ = 2, 4, 6) were obtained from the spectral intensities of different absorption bands of Nd3+ions. Radiative properties such as radiative transition probabilities (AR), radiative lifetimes (τR) and branching ratios (βR) for different excited states were calculated using J-O parameters. The near infrared (NIR) photoluminescence spectra exhibited three emission bands (4F3/2level to4I13/2,4I11/2and4I9/2states) for all the concentrations of Nd3+ions. Various luminescence properties were studied by varying the Nd3+concentration for the three spectral profiles. Fluorescence decay curves of the4F3/2level were recorded. The energy transfer mechanism that leads to quenching of the4F3/2state lifetimes was discussed at higher concentration of Nd3+ions. These glasses are suggested as suitable hosts to produce efficient lasing action in NIR region at 1.05 μm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Reddy Prasad
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seshadri
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ratnakaram
mesh_terms: D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D049449:Luminescence; D009354:Neodymium / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C043952:zinc phosphate; D009354:Neodymium
keywords: J-O parameters; branching ratio; lifetime; quantum efficiency; stimulated emission cross-section; zinc phosphate glass