Lifetime measurements for a potential neodymium 5-/spl mu/m laser

Abstract

Summary form only given. Utilization of low-phonon energy host materials, such as lanthanum trichloride (LaCl/sub 3/), with rare earth doping has enabled laser transitions normally inactive due to multiphonon quenching. Though LaCl/sub 3/ is a good low-phonon energy host material, it is highly hygroscopic, which makes laser development impractical; therefore better host candidates for developing low phonon lasers must be explored. Potassium lead pentachloride, KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/, is an excellent choice for a low phonon energy laser host material. KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ is nonhygroscopic and is therefore easily handled in normal room humidity. KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ is of a group of ternary alkali lead chlorides that are both stable and hard and possesses a transparency range from 0.3-20 /spl mu/m. Other significant properties include relatively low melting temperature at 434/spl deg/C, and it is known to accept rare earth dopants (Bowman et al, 2001). For spectroscopic purposes, five samples of both single and polycrystalline Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ were grown. The samples were measured for absorbance in an FTIR spectrometer from the mid-IR to the visible spectral region. The first three excited states of neodymium were measured for fluorescence lifetime. A Judd-Ofelt analysis (B.R. Judd, Phys. Rev., vol. 127, pp. 750-761, 1962; G.S. Judd, J. Chem. Phys., vol. 37, pp. 511-520, 1962) of the Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ data is performed to determine radiative lifetimes, branching ratios and cross-sections.