Effect of ZnO Addition and of Alpha Particle Irradiation on Various Properties of Er3+, Yb3+ Doped Phosphate Glasses

Arun Poudel,Dan Sporea,Iuliia Dmitrieva,Laura Mihai,Ofelia Mureşan,Ion Rusen,Tapio Niemi,Regina Gumenyuk,Teemu Hakkarainen,Nadia Boetti,Laeticia Petit

doi:10.3390/app7101094

Abstract

New Er3+, Yb3+ codoped phosphate glasses with the (98-x) (0.50P2O5-0.40SrO-0.10Na2O) -0.5Er2O3-1.5Yb2O3-xZnO (in mol %) composition were prepared by melting process with up to 10 mol % of ZnO. The impact of the changes in the glass composition on the thermal, optical, structural properties was investigated. Using IR and Raman spectroscopies, we confirmed that the addition of ZnO up to 10 mol % leads to a depolymerization of the network without having a significant impact on the Er3+ and Yb3+ sites. We also discuss the effect of alpha particles irradiation. The glass with 2.5 mol % of ZnO was irradiated with 3 MeV alpha particles and a total fluence of 1012 α/cm2. After irradiation, this glass exhibits surface expansion (measured at ~200 nm, 1.5 months after the irradiation) and an increase in the surface roughness. The alpha particles irradiation is suspected to lead to changes in the spectroscopic properties of the glass. Finally, the photo-response of the glass was found to be reversible.

Highlights

Erbium-doped glasses are of crucial importance due to the generation of light at 1520–1570 nm, which corresponds to the intra-4f transition of Er3+ from 4 I13/2 to 4 I15/2 [1]
Er3+ doped phosphate glasses have been intensively studied for many years, as they are easy to process and they possess good thermal stability and excellent optical characteristics, such as high transparency in the UV-Visible-Near Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR)
It is well known that the local environment around the RE ions has a significant impact on the optical and spectroscopic properties of glasses [4]

Summary

Introduction

Erbium-doped glasses are of crucial importance due to the generation of light at 1520–1570 nm, which corresponds to the intra-4f transition of Er3+ from 4 I13/2 to 4 I15/2 [1]. Er3+ doped phosphate glasses have been intensively studied for many years, as they are easy to process and they possess good thermal stability and excellent optical characteristics, such as high transparency in the UV-Visible-Near Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR). Sci. 2017, 7, 1094 region [3] They can incorporate a high amount of Er3+ ions (as opposed to silicate glasses) without Er–Er clustering. It is well known that the local environment around the RE ions has a significant impact on the optical and spectroscopic properties of glasses [4]. In our recent study [5], we investigated the changes in the thermal, structural and luminescence properties of Er3+ doped phosphate glasses induced by the addition of Al2 O3 , TiO2 and ZnO in low amount (1.5 mol %)

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