Preparation, structure and spectral characteristics of Zinc tellurite glasses system doped with different concentrations of Tm3+

Abstract

Gallium-tellurite glass is a new optical material with good transmittance in the infrared region up to 6.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]. Three different tellurate glasses were prepared: TeO2–ZnO–Ga2O3(TZG), TeO2–ZnO–La2O3(TZL) and TeO2–ZnO–B2O3(TZB). X-ray diffraction indicates that no crystal precipitates in the three glass systems, which maintain a stable glass state. Raman scattering experiments and fluorescence emission spectroscopy measurements were carried out on the tellulate glasses doped with the same concentration of Tm[Formula: see text]. It was found that the phonon energy of TZG(TeO2–ZnO–Ga2O3)-doped thulium glass is the lowest, and the emission light at 1380[Formula: see text]nm is the strongest with [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm fluorescence FWHM. These results show that Tm-doped TZG glass is a good luminescent material. Refractive indices were measured by the minimum deviation method. Sellmeier dispersion equation is obtained, which can be used to calculate the refractive index within visible and near-infrared spectral range. Furthermore, different Tm[Formula: see text] concentrations (0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2% and 2%) TZG glasses were prepared, the emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime were measured, and the emitted light was strongest when the thulium ion doping concentration is 1.2%. All the results suggest that these newly developed ternary tellurite glass systems are promising candidates for near/mid-infrared laser glass fibers, fiber amplifiers, or lasers.