Optical transition probabilities and compositional dependence of Judd–Ofelt parameters of Nd 3+ ions in fluoroindate glasses

Abstract

Indium fluoride-based glasses constitute a new generation of materials for applications in the mid-infrared range. Fluoroindate glasses with the following compositions (in mol%): (40− x)InF 3, 20ZnF 2, 20SrF 2, 16BaF 2, 2GdF 3, 2NaF, and xNdF 3. with x=1.0,1.5,…,4.0 NdF 3 mol% were prepared in a dry box under argon atmosphere. The absorption spectra at room temperature in the spectral range 300–5000 nm were obtained. The experimental oscillator strengths, f exp, were calculated from the areas under the absorption bands. Using Judd–Ofelt theory and the fit process of least square, the phenomenological intensity parameters Ω λ ( λ=2,4,6) were obtained. From f–f intensity model the theoretical oscillator strengths f cal are calculated. In order to evaluates potential applications of Nd 3+ ions in fluoroindate glasses, the spectroscopy parameters: transition probability between multiplets A JJ ′ , branching ratio β JJ ′ , radiative lifetime τ r, peak cross-section for stimulate emission ρ p, for each band were obtained. The results were compared with those reported in the literature for similar glasses in the same concentrations and show that 4 F 3/2→ 4 I 11/2 transition has the most potential for laser application with a peak fluorescence at 1036 nm.