The structure of the rare-earth phosphate glass(Sm2O3)0.205(P2O5)0.795 studied by anomalous dispersion neutron diffraction

The role of the Sm3+ ions in the structure of vitreous Sm2O3•4P2O5 has been investigated using the neutron diffraction anomalous dispersion technique, which employs the wavelength dependence of the real and imaginary parts of the neutron scattering length close to an absorption resonance. The data described here represent the first successful complete neutron anomalous dispersion study on an amorphous material. This experimental methodology permits one to determine exclusively the closest Sm• •• Sm separation. Knowledge of the R•••R (R = rare-earth) pairwise correlation is key to understanding the optical and magnetic properties of rare-earth phosphate glasses. The anomalous difference correlation function, ΔT''(r), shows a dominant feature pertaining to a Sm•••Sm separation, centred at 4.8 Å. The substantial width and marked asymmetry of this peak indicates that the minimum approach of Sm3+ ions could be as close as 4 Å. Information on other pairwise correlations is also revealed via analysis of T (r) and ΔT (r) correlation functions: Sm3+ ions display an average co-ordination number, n Sm(O), of 7, with a mean Sm–O bond length of 2.375(5) Å whilst the PO4 tetrahedra have a mean P–O bond length of 1.538(2) Å. Second- and third-neighbour correlations are also identified. These results corroborate previous findings. Such consistency lends support to the application of the anomalous dispersion technique to determine separations.

Er3+ and Yb3+ codoped phosphate laser glass for high power flashlamp pumping

A novel Vb(3+)-Er-(3+) codoped phosphate glass for high power flashlamp pumping and high repetition rate laser at 1.54 mu m, designated EAT5-2, is developed. The weight-loss rate of is 1.3 x 10(-5) gcm(-2) h(-1) in boiling water, which is comparable to Kigre's QX-Er glass. Some spectroscopic parameters are analysed by Judd-Ofelt theory and McCumber theory The emission cross section is calculated to be 0.73 x 10(-20) cm(2). The thermo-mechanical properties of EAT5-2 are modified after an ion-exchange chemical strengthening process in a KNO3/NaNO3 molten salt bath. The thresholds for optical damage from the flashlamp pumping are tested on glass rods. A repetition rate of 15 Hz is achieved for chemically strengthened glass. The laser experimental results at. 1.54 mu m from flashlamp pumping are also reported.

The effect of zinc and titanium on the structure of calcium-sodium phosphate based glass

An array of different structural probes has been used to define the effect of adding Zn and Ti to a sodium-calcium phosphate glass. X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Zn K-edge suggests that the Zn atoms occupy mixed (4- and 6-fold) sites within the glass matrix. X-ray diffraction reveals a feature at 2.03 angstrom that develops with the addition of Zn and Ti and is consistent with Zn-O and Ti-O near-neighbour distances. Neutron diffraction is used to resolve two distinct P-O distances and highlights the decrease in P center dot center dot center dot P coordination number from 2.0 to 1.7 as the Ti metal concentration rises, which is attributed to the O/P fraction moving away from the metaphosphate value of 3.0 to 3.1 with the addition of Ti. Other correlations, such as those associated with CaO(x) and NaO(x) polyhedra, remain largely unaffected. These results suggest that the network forming P center dot center dot center dot P correlation is most disrupted, with the disorder parameter rising from 0.07 to 0.10 angstrom with the additional modifiers. Zn appears to be introduced into the network as a direct replacement for Ca and causes no structural variation over the composition range studied.

Spectroscopic investigations and luminescence spectra of Nd3+ and Dy3+ doped different phosphate glasses

Spectral properties of Nd3+ and Dy3+ ions in different phosphate glasses were studied and several spectroscopic parameters were reported. Covalency of rare-earth-oxygen bond was studied in these phosphate glass matrices with the variation of modifier in host glass matrix Using Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters (Omega(2), Omega(4) and Omega(6)), radiative transition probabilities (A) and radiative lifetimes (tau(R)) of certain excited states of Nd3+ and Dy3+ ions are estimated in these glass matrices. From the magnitudes of branching ratios (beta(R)) and integrated absorption cross-sections (Sigma), certain transitions of both the ions are identified for laser excitation. From the emission spectra, peak stimulated emission cross-sections (sigma(P)) are evaluated for the emission transitions observed in all these phosphate glass matrices for both Nd3+ and Dy3+ ions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of cerium oxide on the precipitation of silver nanoparticles in femtosecond laser irradiated silicate glass

We investigated the effect of cerium oxide on the precipitation of Ag nanoparticles in silicate glass via a femtosecond laser irradiation and successive annealing. Absorption spectra show that Ce3+ ions may absorb part of the laser energy via multiphoton absorption and release free electrons, resulting in an increase of the concentration of Ag atoms and a decrease of the concentration of hole-trapped color centers, which influence precipitation of the Ag nanoparticles. In addition, we found that the formed Ag-0 may reduce Ce4+ ions to Ce3+ ions during the annealing process, which inhibits the growth of the Ag nanoparticles.

Subsurface damage of Nd-doped phosphate glasses in optical fabrication

We present a destructive method for detecting and measuring subsurface damage of Nd-doped phosphate glasses. An instrument based on the dimple method - a destructive method - was developed. Subsurface damage depth produced in each fabrication procedure was obtained. We extend the surface roughness-subsurface damage relation to Nd-doped phosphate glasses. The constant ratio of subsurface damage and surface roughness was obtained as well. We also analyse the relation of abrasive size and subsurface damage experimentally. From a measurement of the surface roughness or abrasive size, one can obtain an accurate estimate of the damage layer thickness that must be eliminated by polishing or subsequent grinding operations. (C) 2007 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Nd-glass belt lasers with improved beam quality

Nd-doped phosphate glass belt lasers pumped by laser diodes are demonstrated. The Nd-glass belt with a large cross-section and a small Fresnel number is air-cooled to provide around 18-W continuous wave (CW) output power with a beam quality factor of My2

Effect of network modifiers on spectroscopic properties of erbium-doped phosphate glasses

The integrated absorption cross section Sigma(abs), I peak emission cross section sigma(cmi), Judd-Ofeld intensity parameters Omega(iota) ( t = 2,4,6), and spontaneous emission probability A(R) of Er3+ ions were determined for Erbium doped alkali and alkaline earth phosphate glasses. It is found the compositional dependence of sigma(emi) 5 almost similar to that of Sigma(abs), which is determined by the sum, of Omega(1) (3 Omega(2) + 10 Omega(4) + 21 Omega(6)). In addition, the compositional dependence of Omega(1) was studied in these glass systems. As a result, compared with. Omega(4) and Omega(6) the Omega(2) has a stronger compositional dependence on the ionic radius and content of modifers. The covalency of Er-O bonds in phosphate glass is weaker than that in silicate glass, germanate glass, aluminate glass, and tellurate glass, since Omega(6) of phosphate glass is relatively large. A(R) is affected by the covalency of the Er3+ ion sites and corresponds to the Omega(6) value.

Low-loss planar and stripe waveguides in Nd3+-doped silicate glass produced by oxygen-ion implantation

We report on the fabrication and characterization of low-loss planar and stripe waveguides in a Nd3+-doped glass by 6 MeV oxygen-ion implantation at a dose of 1x10(15) ions/cm(2). The dark mode spectroscopy of the planar waveguide was measured using a prism coupling arrangement. The refractive index profile of the planar waveguide was reconstructed from a code based on the reflectivity calculation method. The results indicate that a refractive index enhanced region as well as an optical barrier have been created after the ion beam processing. The near-field mode profiles of the stripe waveguide were obtained by an end-fire coupling arrangement, by which three quasitransverse electric modes were observed. After annealing, the propagation losses of the planar and stripe waveguides were reduced to be similar to 0.5 and similar to 1.8 dB/cm, respectively. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.

The influence of OH groups on laser performance in phosphate glasses

Because of the influence of OH groups in phosphate glasses on the radiation of rare-earth ions, the laser performance is degraded. The laser efficiency and the small signal gain experiment of several phosphate glass samples have been done, the concentration of OH groups in glasses was calculated from the measured absorption coefficient at 3.47 μm. It is shown that the concentration of OH groups in phosphate glasses can seriously influence the laser output characteristics, and the OH groups have worse influence on the laser amplifier than laser oscillator.

Enhanced broadband near-infrared luminescence and optical amplification in Yb-Bi codoped phosphate glasses

Yb-Bi codoped phosphate glass was prepared and its properties were compared with Bi-doped phosphate glass. The broadband infrared luminescence intensity from Yb-Bi codoped glass was similar to 32 times stronger than that of Bi-doped glass. The single-pass optical amplification was measured on a traditional two-wave mixing configuration. No optical amplification was observed in Bi-doped glass, while apparent broadband optical amplification between 1272 and 1336 nm was observed from Yb-Bi codoped glass with 980 nm laser diode excitation. The highest gain coefficient at 1272 nm of Yb-Bi codoped glass reached to 2.62 cm(-1). Yb-Bi codoped phosphate glass is a promising material for broadband optical amplification. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Effect of PbS impurity on crystallization mechanism of phosphate glasses studied by differential scanning calorimetry

In this work, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study effect of PbS impurity on crystallization mechanism of phosphate glasses. Bulk glasses presented one crystallization peak while powdered glasses presented two distinct crystallization peaks. For both undoped and doped glasses were determined the activation energies for the crystallization and the Avrami n parameters. The activation energies for undoped phosphate glass were 336 +/- 6 and 213 +/- 3 kJ mol(-1), respectively, associated with first and second crystallization peaks. For doped glass, the obtained energies were 373 +/- 9 and 286 +/- 7 kJ mol(-1). The calculated Avrami parameters, based on first crystallization peaks, for undoped and doped glasses were 2.25 +/- 0.01 and 1.75 +/- 0.02, respectively. These values suggest that the first DSC peak, in both glasses, may be associated with surface crystallization. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation of ultrafast laser-photonic material interactions: Challenges for directly written glass photonics

Currently, direct-write waveguide fabrication is probably the most widely studied application of femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent dielectrics. Devices such as buried waveguides, power splitters, couplers, gratings, and optical amplifiers have all been demonstrated. Waveguide properties depend critically on the sample material properties and writing laser characteristics. In this paper, we discuss the challenges facing researchers using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique with specific emphasis being placed on the suitability of fused silica and phosphate glass as device hosts for different applications.