Time-resolved Z-scan and thermal lens measurements in Er+3 and Nd+3 doped fluoroindate glasses

In rare earth ion doped solids, a resonant non-linear refractive index, n2, appears when the laser pumps one of the ion excited states and the refractive index change is proportional to the excited state population. In these solids there are usually thermal and non-thermal lensing effects, where the non-thermal one is due to the polarizability difference, Δα, between excited and ground states of the ions. We have used the time resolved Z-scan and a mode-mismatched thermal lens technique with an Ar+ ion laser in Er+3 (20ZnF2-20SrF2-2NaF-16BaF2-6GaF3-(36 - x)InF3-xErF3, with x= 1, 2, 3 and 4 mol%) and Nd+3 (20SrF2-16BaF2-20ZnF2-2GdF3-2NaF-(40 - x)InF3-xNdF3, with x = 0.1, 0.25, 0.5-1 mol%) doped fluoroindate glasses. In both samples we found that the non-linear refraction is due to the thermal effect, while the non-thermal effect is negligible. This result indicates that in fluoride glasses Δα is very small (less than 10-26 cm3). We also measured the imaginary part of the non-linear refractive index (n″2) due to absorption saturation.

In(PO3)3 stabilised fluoroindate glasses

Results on thermal and optical characterization of new lanthanide containing fluoroindate glasses in the system InF3-BaF2-In(PO3)3 are presented. Good optical quality and very stable glasses presenting up to 5 mm in thickness could be prepared in this system. Thermal analysis, Raman scattering and Eu3+ luminescence were the techniques utilized. A novel method for In(PO3)3 synthesis is proposed and the dependence of physical properties and structural features on the polyphosphate content is stressed. © 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.

Chlorine evolution during the fusion of chlorofluoroindate glasses

Samples with a composition of 40InF 3-20ZnF 2-5MCl- xBaF 2-ySrF 2, where M=Na, Li and x+y=35 mol%, were prepared. The thermal properties related to the Ba/Sr ratio and to the remaining chlorine content in the glasses were studied. Thermal stability is improved with the addition of chlorine. However, chlorine concentration is regulated by the sublimation of indium fluorides which takes place at about 600°C. Indium fluorides arc formed during glass fusion. The mechanisms of chlorine sublimation were studied. © 2005 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.

含AlF3和ZrF4氟化物玻璃的分相与析晶

以摩尔组成为8．7MgF2-17．4CaF2-8．7SrF2-13．3BaF2-13．0YF3-31．6．AlF3-7．3ZrF4的氟化物玻璃为对象，研究了玻璃的分相和析晶．研究表明，玻璃中同时含有AlF3和ZrF4时，玻璃产生明显的分相，玻璃在高温下对水比较敏感，容易产生表面析晶．玻璃内部的析晶主要来自稳定性较差的富Al相，受空气中水分的影响，玻璃表面的析晶首先产生于富Zr相．依据玻璃的分相和析晶表现，讨论了含AlF3和ZrF4氟化物玻璃的表面析晶机理．

透红外大尺寸氧氟化物玻璃研究

锗酸盐和氟铝酸盐透红外玻璃材料作为窗口或头罩材料具有广泛的应用前景。结合锗酸盐玻璃含有少量水的问题，在成分中引入氟化物，实验表明：随氟化物含量增加．玻璃中羟基含量逐渐降低。同时通过对熔制温度的调整，获得了不合羟基的红外玻璃。针对氟铝酸盐玻璃在冷却过程中易析晶的问题，在氟化物组分中加入少量重金属氧化物TeO2，得到析晶性能好的氧氟铝酸盐玻璃。同时给出了两类红外材料的一些物理、化学性质。

透红外含碲氟铝基玻璃的激光损伤阈值

在氟铝酸盐玻璃组分中加入适量声子能量低的重金属氧化物TeO2，得到一种新的氧氟化物玻璃。该材料具有良好的成玻璃性能，适合制作大尺寸红外窗口镜。研究了TeO2含量对玻璃特征温度、阿贝数和红外透过性能的影响。同时测试了这种玻璃的抗DF激光能力，结果表明：TeO2含量为15％的玻璃，DF激光破坏阈值达14．95kW·cm^-2。分析显示，由于玻璃基质的多声子吸收，对激光能量的吸收而引起的热冲击是导致玻璃破坏的主要原因。进一步降低玻璃中水分，可以提高玻璃抗激光破坏性能。

977nm抽运下掺铒碲酸盐基氧卤玻璃的光谱特性

研究了掺铒TeO2-ZnO-PbCl2碲酸盐基氧卤玻璃在977nm激光二极管抽运下的发光和上转换发光特性，结果发现除红外1．53μm^4I13.2→^4I15/2发光外(荧光半高宽高达69nm)，该玻璃还存在很强的^2H11/2→^4I15/2(527nm)，^4S3/2→^4I15/2(549nm)和^4R9/2→^4I15/2(666nm)可见上转换发光．应用Judd-Ofelt理论计算得到玻璃强度参数Ω1(t=2，4，6)分别为Ω2=5．87×10^20cm^2,Ω4=2．08×10^2-cm^2，

Broadband optical amplification in silicate glass-ceramic containing beta-Ga2O3 : Ni2+ nanocrystals

We demonstrate broadband optical amplification at 1.3 mu m in silicate glass-ceramics containing beta-Ga2O3:Ni2+ nanocrystals with 980 nm excitation for the first time. The optical gain efficiency is calculated to be about 0.283 cm(-1) when the excitation power is 1.12 W. The optical gain shows similar wavelength dependence to luminescence properties. (C) 2007 Optical Society of America.

Espectroscopia óptica de vidros fluoroindatos dopados com íons Er3+ e Yb3+

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Structure of SnO2 alcosols and films prepared by sol-gel dip coating

To obtain SnO2 films to be used for surface protection of fluoride glasses, a non-aqueous sol-gel route for the preparation was developed. An ethanolic SnO2 colloidal suspension was prepared by thermohydrolysis of SnCl4 solution at 70 degreesC. By using this procedure, redispersable powders with nanometer sized particles were obtained. Films were obtained by dip coating on glass and mica substrates. The structures of the ethanolic precursor suspension and films were compared to those of similar samples prepared by the classical aqueous sol-gel route. Comparative analyses performed by photon correlation spectroscopy demonstrated that the powders obtained by freeze-drying are fully redispersable either in aqueous or in alcoholic solutions at pH greater than or equal to 8. As prepared sols and redispersed colloidal suspensions have hydrodynamic radius distribution (2-14 nm) with an average size close to 7 nm. The variations in film structures with firing temperature were investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering and X-ray reflectometry. The experimental results show that the films have a two level porous structure composed of agglomerates of primary colloidal particles. The sintering of the primary particles leads to the densification of agglomerates and to the formation of inter-agglomerate spatially correlated pores. The volume fraction of intra-agglomerate pores is reduced from approximate to 50% to approximate to 30% by the precipitation of precursor salts partially hydrolyzed in ethanolic solution. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Densification of Mn-doped tin oxide films by conventional heating and microwave heating treatment

Mn(II) doped SnO2 thin films used for shielding fluoride glasses against corrosion were investigated by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS and XANE)S at the Sn and Mn K-edges. The effect of firing treatment on the densification of the films was studied. It has been evidenced a partial change of Mn valence from 2.3 to 2.6 upon heating which is attributed to a change of ratios of two Mn sites: grafted divalent Mn ions at the surface of SnO 2 nanocrystallites and trivalent Mn ions embedded into a substitutional solid solution with Sn. © Physica Scripta 2005.

Tendencias actuales y perspectivas de las comunicaciones ópticas

A short review to the main problems today in optical Communications is given. Several topics, namely, coherent optical systems, high-speed transmission systems, optical switching, fluoride glasses and wavelength division multiplexing are studied. Their status and future is reported. Some considerations coming out from the next ECOC'88, give way to the author impresions about the present and future of Optical Communications.

Développement de fibres optiques composites pour la génération du supercontinuum dans l’infrarouge

Les sources laser à large bande possédant les caractéristiques requises pour émettre sur la plage spectrale correspondant à la seconde fenêtre de transmission atmosphérique (3 à 5 μm) exercent un attrait considérable pour divers domaines tels que la télédétection de polluants atmosphériques et les contremesures infrarouges. Les supercontinua générés à l’intérieur de fibres optiques représentent une option intéressante pour réaliser ce type de sources laser. En effet, ils possèdent une intensité élevée, un large contenu spectral, une excellente directionnalité de faisceau, ainsi qu’un bon potentiel pour constituer des sources lumineuses compactes et robustes. Toutefois, la génération d’un tel supercontinuum implique certains défis à relever sur le plan de la conception des fibres optiques employées. En fait, ces fibres optiques doivent présenter de faibles pertes de propagation sur la plage spectrale de 3 à 5 μm, posséder un paramètre de non-linéarité élevé et permettre le pompage en régime anomal de dispersion à des longueurs d’onde pour lesquelles des sources laser compactes sont offertes commercialement. En matière de robustesse, ces fibres doivent également démontrer de bonnes propriétés mécaniques ainsi qu’une stabilité chimique appropriée vis-à-vis de la corrosion causée par l’humidité. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, un nouveau type de fibres composites à saut d’indice fortement contrasté a été développé pour atteindre ces objectifs de génération de supercontinuum. Ce type de fibres combine respectivement un verre de tellurite et un verre de germanate pour son coeur et sa gaine permettant ainsi d’atteindre une différence d’indice de réfraction d’environ 0.3 entre ces deux dernières structures. Grâce à cet important saut d’indice, ces fibres peuvent fortement confiner les modes optiques à l’intérieur de leur coeur, ce qui leur donne la possibilité d’atteindre un niveau élevé de non-linéarité et d’optimiser leurs caractéristiques de dispersion chromatique pour la génération du supercontinuum. D’autre part, leur section transversale toute solide leur confère aussi une meilleure stabilité environnementale comparativement à celle démontrée par les fibres optiques microstructurées à base de verres d’oxydes de métaux lourds, de verres de chalcogénure et de verres fluorés. Toutefois, leur fabrication nécessite l’appariement de verres dont les propriétés thermomécaniques concordent suffisamment ensemble pour permettre leur fibrage. Les travaux effectués ici démontrent la production de fibres optiques composites et leur potentiel pour la génération du supercontinuum dans l’infrarouge moyen.

Structural role of fluoride in aluminophosphate sol-gel glasses: High-resolution double-resonance NMR studies

The local structure of Na-Al-P-O-F glasses, prepared by a novel sol-gel route, was extensively investigated by advanced solid-state NMR techniques. Al-21{F-19} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) results indicate that the F incorporated into aluminophosphate glass is preferentially bonded to octahedral Al units and results in a significant increase in the concentration of six-coordinated aluminum. The extent of Al-F and Al-O-P connectivities are quantified consistently by analyzing Al-27{P-31} and Al-21{F-19} REDOR NMR data. Two distinct types of fluorine species were identified and characterized by various F-19{Al-27}, F-19{Na-23}, and F-19{P-31} double resonance experiments, which were able to support peak assignments to bridging (Al-F-Al, -140 ppm) and terminal (Al-F, -170 ppm) units. On the basis of the detailed quantitative dipole-dipole coupling information obtained, a comprehensive structural model for these glasses is presented, detailing the structural speciation as a function of composition.

Investigation of the effect of fluoride ions introduction on structural, OH- content and up-conversion luminescence properties in Er3+-doped heavy metal oxide glasses

Effect of fluoride ions introduction on structural, OH- content and up-conversion luminescence properties in Er3+-doped heavy metal oxide glasses have been investigated. Structure was investigated, indicating that fluoride has an important influence on the phonon density, maximum phonon energy of host glasses. With increasing fluoride content, the up-conversion luminescence intensity and quantum efficiencies increase notably, which could not be explained only by the maximum phonon energy change of host glasses. Our results show that, with the introduction of PbF2, the decrease of phonon density and OH- content contributes more to the enhanced up-conversion emissions than that of maximum phonon energy. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.