Improvement of the chemical resistance of zirconium fluoride glasses coated with a Tiron (R) modified tin oxide layer prepared by the sol-gel process

In order to improve the chemical resistance of zirconium fluoride glass a protective transparent SnO2 layer was deposited by the solgel dip-coating process in the presence of Tiron (R) as particle surface modifier agent. After water immersion for different periods of time, both coated and non-coated fluoride glasses were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, mass loss evaluation, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In contrast to the effects occurring for non-coated glass, where the surface undergoes a rapid selective dissolution of the most soluble species, the results for the SnO2-coated glass showed that the filling of the film nanopores by dissolved glass material results in a hermetic barrier protecting the glass surface. The selective glass dissolution was confirmed by liquid chromatography measurements of the etching solution after each exposure time. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Innovating transparent glass ceramics based on Ga2S3-GeS2-CsCl

In this paper, we describe the preparation of glass ceramics in the Ga2S3 - GeS2 - CsCl system Visible and infrared transmitting glass ceramics were reproducibly obtained by appropriated heat treatment of the base glass Crystals with controllable size of about 40 nm were homogeneously generated in the glassy matrix X-ray diffraction characterizations have shown that gallium acts as nucleating agent in this material, giving rise to alpha-Ga2S3 crystals Improved thermo-mechanical properties such as dilatation coefficient and resistance to fracture propagation have been observed in the prepared glass ceramics

Spectroscopic investigations of OH- influence on near-infrared fluorescence quenching of Yb3+/Tm3+ co-doped sodium-metaphosphate glasses

Energy transfer processes were studied in two sets of Yb3+ and Tm3+ co-doped sodium-metaphosphate glasses, prepared in air and nitrogen atmospheres. Using Forster, Dexter, and Miyakawa theoretical models, the energy transfer parameters were calculated. The main ion-ion energy transfer processes analyzed were energy migration among Yb3+ ions, cross-relaxations between Yb3+ and Tm3+ ions, and interactions with OH- radicals. The results indicated that Yb -> Tm energy transfer favors 1.8 mu m emissions, and there is no evidence of concentration quenching up to 2% Tm2O3 doping. As expected, samples prepared in nitrogen atmosphere present higher fluorescence quantum efficiency than those prepared in air, and this feature is specially noted in the near-infrared region, where the interaction with the OH- radicals is more pronounced. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Temperature investigation of infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion in erbium-doped tellurite glasses excited at 1540 nm

Temperature investigation of infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion in erbium-doped tellurite glasses excited by CW laser radiation at 1540 nm and under cryogenic temperatures is reported. Intense upconversion emission signals around 530, 550 and 660 nm corresponding to the H-2(11/2), S-4(3/2), and F-4(9/2) transitions to the I-4(15/2) ground state were generated and studied as a function of the laser intensity and temperature. The upconversion excitation mechanism of the Er3+ ions emitting energy levels was accomplished via stepwise multiphoton absorption. The green upconversion luminescence exhibited a fivefold intensity enhancement when the temperature of the sample was varied in the range between 5 and 300 K. A maximum green upconversion intensity was attained around 120 K and a steady decreasing behavior for higher temperatures up to 300 K was observed. A model based upon conventional rate equations was used to model the observed temperature evolution of the upconversion luminescence. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion in Pr3+/Yb3+- and Er3+/Yb3+-codoped tellurite glasses

Upconversion luminescence and thermal effects in Pr3+/Yb3+- and Er3+/Yb3+-codoped 60TeO(2)-10GeO(2)-10K(2)O-10Li(2)O-10Nb(2)O(5) tellurite glasses excited by CW infrared radiation at 1.064 mum is reported. Generation of intense green and red fluorescence emission in Er3+/Yb3+-codoped samples and appreciable upconversion luminescence in the wavelength region of 450-680 nm in Pr3+/Yb3+-codoped samples is observed. Temperature-induced enhancement of X12 in the upconversion efficiency in Er3+/Yb3+- and X10 in the Pr3+/Yb3+-doped samples is demonstrated. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

1.5 mu m emission and infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion in Er+3/Yb+3-doped phosphoniobate glasses

Sodium phosphoniobate glasses with the composition (mol%) 75NaPO(3)-25Nb(2)O(5) and containing 2 mol% Yb3+ and x mol% Er3+ (0.01 <= x <= 2) were prepared using the conventional melting/casting process. Er3+ emission at 1.5 mu m and infrared-to-visible upconversion emission, upon excitation at 976 nm, are evaluated as a function of the Er3+ concentration. For the lowest Er3+ content, 1.5 mu m emission quantum efficiency was 90%. Increasing the Er3+ concentration up to 2 mol%, the emission quantum efficiency was observed to decrease to 37% due to concentration quenching. The green and red upconversion emission intensity ratio was studied as a function of Yb3+ co-doping and the Er3+-Er3+ energy transfer processes. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Near-infrared Kerr nonlinearity of Pb(PO3)(2)-WO3 glasses

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nonresonant third-order nonlinear properties of NaPO3-WO3-Bi2O3 glasses in the near infrared

nonlinear (NL) refractive index, n(2), of NaPO3-WO3-Bi2O3 glass with different relative amounts of the constituents was measured at 1064 and 800 nm using the Z-scan and the thermally managed eclipse Z-scan techniques, respectively. The values of n(2) >= 10(-15) cm(2)/W and negligible NL absorption coefficient were determined. The large values of the NL refractive index and the very small NL absorption indicate that these materials have large potential for all-optical switching applications. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3212972]

Visible to infrared energy conversion in Pr3+-Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glasses

Processes involving visible to infrared energy conversion are presented for Pr3+-Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindate glasses. The emission in the visible and infrared regions, the luminescence decay time of the Pr 3+:3P0 → 3H4 (482 nm), Pr3+:1D2 → 3H6 (800 nm), Yb3+:2F5/2 → 2F 7/2 (1044 nm) transitions and the photoluminescence excitation spectra were measured in Pr3+ samples and in Pr3+-Yb 3+ samples as a function of the Yb3+ concentration. In addition, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated from Pr3+: 3P0 and Pr3+:1D2 levels to Yb3+:2F7/2 level. Down-Conversion (DC) emission is observed due to a combination of two different processes: 1-a one-step cross relaxation (Pr3+:3P0 → 1G4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2) resulting in one photon emitted by Pr3+ (1G4 → 3H5) and one photon emitted by Yb3+ (2F7/2 → 2F5/2); 2-a resonant two-step first order energy transfer, where the first part of energy is transferred to Yb3+ neighbor through cross relaxation (Pr3+:3P0 → 1G4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2) followed by a second energy transfer step (Pr 3+:1G4 → 3H4; Yb3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2). A third process leading to one IR photon emission to each visible photon absorbed involves cross relaxation energy transfer (Pr3+: 1D2 → 3F4; Yb 3+:2F7/2 → 2F5/2). © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infrared-to-visible upconversion emission in Er3+ doped TeO2-WO3-Bi2O3 glasses with silver nanoparticles

The influence of silver nanoparticles (NPs) on the frequency upconversion luminescence in Er3+ doped TeO2-WO3-Bi2O3 glasses is reported. The effect of the NPs on the Er3+ luminescence was controlled by appropriate heat-treatment of the samples. Enhancement up to 700% was obtained for the upconverted emissions at 527, 550, and 660 nm, when a laser at 980 nm is used for excitation. Since the laser frequency is far from the NPs surface plasmon resonance frequency, the luminescence enhancement is attributed to the local field increase in the proximity of the NPs and not to energy transfer from the NPs to the emitters as is usually reported. This is the first time that the effect is investigated for tellurite-tungstate-bismutate glasses and the enhancement observed is the largest reported for a tellurium oxide based glass. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4754468]

Near-infrared quantum cutting through a three-step energy transfer process in Nd3+-Yb3+ co-doped fluoroindogallate glasses

The Nd3+-Yb3+ couple was investigated in fluoroindogallate glasses using optical spectroscopy to elucidate the energy transfer mechanisms involved in the downconversion (DC) process. Upon excitation of a Nd3+ ion by an ultraviolet photon, DC through a three-step energy transfer process occurs, in which the energy of the ultraviolet photon absorbed by the Nd3+ ion is converted into three infrared photons emitted by Yb3+ ions, i.e. quantum cutting (QC). In addition, with excitation in the visible, our results confirm that the DC process occurs through a one-step energy transfer process, in which the energy of a visible photon absorbed by the Nd3+ ion is converted into only one infrared photon emitted by an Yb3+ ion. Time-resolved measurements enabled the estimation of the efficiencies of the cross-relaxation processes between Nd3+ and Yb3+ ions.

Near-infrared third-order nonlinearity of PbO-GeO(2) films containing Cu and Cu(2)O nanoparticles

We report measurements of the nonlinear (NL) refractive index n(2) of lead-germanium films (LGFs) containing Cu and Cu(2)O nanoparticles (NPs). The thermally managed eclipse Z-scan technique with 150 fs pulses from a laser operating at 800 nm was used. The NL refractive index measured, n(2)=6.3x10(-12) cm(2)/W has electronic origin and the NL absorption coefficient alpha(2) is smaller than 660 cm/GW. The figure of merit n(2)/lambda alpha(2) is enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude in comparison with the result for the LGFs without the copper based NPs. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Frequency upconversion luminescence from Yb(+3)-Tm(+3) codoped PbO-GeO(2) glasses containing silver nanoparticles

Infrared-to-visible and infrared-to-infrared frequency upconversion processes in Yb(3+)-Tm(3+) doped PbO-GeO(2) glasses containing silver nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated. The experiments were performed by exciting the samples with a diode laser operating at 980 nm (in resonance with the Yb(3+) transition (2)F(7/2)->(2)F(5/2)) and observing the photoluminescence (PL) in the visible and infrared regions due to energy transfer from Yb(3+) to Tm(3+) ions followed by excited state absorption in the Tm3+ ions. The intensified local field in the vicinity of the metallic NPs contributes for enhancement in the PL intensity at 480 nm (Tm(3+) :(1)G(4)->(3)H(6)) and at 800 nm (Tm(3+) : (3)H(4) -> (3)H(6)). (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3211300]

Structural, dielectric, and optical properties of yttrium calcium borate glasses

Structural and optical properties of stable glasses in the Y(2)O(3)-CaO-B(2)O(3) system, containing the same Y/Ca ratio as the YCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) (YCOB) crystal, were determined from Raman and reflectance infrared spectroscopy. Changes in optical functions with composition are associated with an increase in the number of non-bridging oxygen and to calcium/yttrium oxides content. Refractive indexes values (from 1.597 to 1.627 at lambda=2 mu m) are in good agreement with those of the YCOB crystal, an indication that these glasses are potential candidates for optical applications due to their ease of shaping as large bulk samples or fibers.

Influence of the heat treatment on the nucleation of silver nanoparticles in Tm(3+) doped PbO-GeO(2) glasses

Nucleation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) in Tm(3+) doped PbO-GeO(2) (PGO) glass is reported. The influence of the heat treatment on the nucleation of silver NPs is studied by means of transmission electron microscopy and optical spectroscopy. Two heat treatment procedures were applied in order to compare their performance. Observation of infrared-to-visible frequency upconversion (UC) luminescence of Tm(3+) ions is reported and correlated with the heat-treatment procedure. Enhancement of the UC emission for samples heat treated during various time intervals is attributed to the increased local field in the vicinity of the NPs. Quenching of the UC signal was also observed and correlated with the growth of NPs amount and size.