Chapter 6

Physical, Optical and Structural Properties of Er3+ Doped Zinc/Cadmium Bismuth Borate/Silicate Glasses

Inder Pal, Ashish Agarwal, Sujata Sanghi and Mahender P. Aggarwal

Abstract

Glasses with compositions 20MO·xBi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>·(79.5-x)B<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (15 ≤ x ≤ 35, x in mol%,) and 20MO·xSiO<sub>2</sub>·(79.5-x)Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (10 ≤ x ≤ 50, x in mol%, M = Zn and Cd) containing 0.5 mol% Er<sup>3+</sup> ions were prepared by normal melt-quench technique (1150°C in air). The effect of host glass composition on the optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of Er<sup>3+</sup> ions have been observed with varying contents of Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>. Judd-Ofelt approach has been applied for f-f transition of Er<sup>3+</sup> ions to evaluate various intensity parameters viz. Ω<sub>λ</sub> (λ = 2, 4, 6). The variation of Ω<sub>2</sub> with Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> content has been attributed to change in the asymmetry of ligand field at the rare earth ion site. The Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters were determined from intensities of absorption bands in order to calculate the radiative properties viz. transition probability (A<sub>rad</sub>), and radiative life-time of the excited states (τ<sub>r</sub>). From the emission spectra, full width at half maxima (FWHM), stimulated emission crosssection (σ) and figure of merit were evaluated and compared with other hosts. The observed NIR emission (<sup>4</sup>I<sub>13/2</sub>→<sup>4</sup>I<sub>15/2</sub> at 1.5μm) in Er<sup>3+</sup>-doped zinc/cadmium bismuth borate/ silicate glasses may be useful in optical communication.

Total Pages: 142-181 (40)

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