Spectroscopic evaluation a new and novel Nd3+/Yb3+ co-doped CdO-V2O5 glass system for 1 μm laser application

Abstract

Structural and spectral evaluations of Nd3+ and Nd3+/Yb3+ doped CdO-V2O5 glasses based on X-Ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, absorption, excitation and emission spectra and decay time profiles, are performed. X-Ray diffraction patterns and Raman spectroscopy revealed that all samples are amorphous (glassy phase) up to 4 mol% of Yb3+, without segregation of any crystalline phase. The optical band gap values determined from the absorption spectra, assuming direct optical band gap, were in the range of 2.13–2.07 eV, depending on the Yb3+ concentration. The emission spectra of the Nd3+ and Nd3+/Yb3+ doped glasses upon Nd3+ excitation at 585 nm, displayed the NIR Nd3+ feature emissions centered at 880, 1060 and 1342 nm, and Yb3+ emission at 977 nm, being the latter one achieved at expenses of energy transfer from Nd3+. According to the shortening of the Nd3+ emission decay profiles such process is not radiative with efficiency in the range of 0.181–0.521, depending on the Yb3+ content. The 880 nm Nd3+ decay fitting using the Inokuti-Hirayama model considering, energy migration among donors, suggested that an electric dipole-dipole interaction might mediate the energy transfer process, within Nd3+-Yb3+ clusters.