Tb3+/Yb3+ heavily-doped tellurite glasses with efficient green light emission

Without introducing concentration quenching phenomenon, a few wt% of Tb3+ and Yb3+ ions were doped into a group of easily-fiberized tellurite glasses characterized by loose polyhedron structures and rich interstitial positions. Intense green upconversion emission from Tb3+ ions centered at 539 nm due to transition 5D4→7F5 was observed by direct excitation of Yb3+ ions with a laser diode at 976 nm. Optimizing the concentration ratio of Tb3+/Yb3+, a tellurite glass with composition of 80TeO2-10ZnO-10Na2O (mol%)+1.0wt% Tb2O3+3.0wt% Yb2O3 was found to present the highest green light intensity and therefore is especially suitable for efficient green fiber laser development.

Nd3+-doped LaF3 nanoparticles with a larger emission cross-section

A series of Nd3+-doped LaF3 nanoparticles with Nd3+ concentrations from 0.5 to 10 mol% were synthesized. The fluorescence intensity and lifetime of the nanoparticles at various Nd3+ doping concentration were investigated. The nanoparticles displayed strongest fluorescence intensity at 3 mol% Nd3+ concentration. Eighty-eight percentage quantum efficiency was obtained when the Nd3+ concentration was 0.5 mol%. Optical properties of nanoparticles were studied according to Judd-Ofelt theory. A larger emission cross-section, sigma(em), for F-4(3/2) -> I-4(11/2) transition of the Nd3+ ion was obtained as 3.21 x 10(-20) cm(2), which was two times of the currently reported value. The larger emission cross-section and strong fluorescence intensity demonstrate that these nanoparticles are promising materials for laser applications. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B. V.