Neodymium-doped magnesium phosphate glasses for NIR laser applications at 1.05 m

Neodymium-doped magnesium phosphate glasses with various concentrations of active ion are prepared by melt quenching method and characterized their spectroscopic properties using absorption and emission spectra and decay measurements. Using the Judd-Ofelt analysis, various spectroscopic parameters such as intensity parameters ( λ, λ = 2, 4, 6), radiative transition probabilities, branching ratios and radiative lifetimes are evaluated. The near infrared emission spectra are measured by exciting the samples at 808 nm. In the emission spectra, maximum intensity is observed at 1054 nm which corresponds to the 4F3/2 → 4F11/2 transition of Nd3+ ion. The branching ratio, band width and stimulated emission cross-section for the above transition are found to be 0.51, 25 nm and 3.26 × 10-20 cm2, respectively. The decay curves for the 4F3/2 fluorescent level are single exponential nature with decreasing lifetime from 346 to 57 s with increase in Nd3+ concentration from 0.05 to 4.0 mol%. The results suggest that PMN glasses could be useful as infrared laser sources at around 1.05 m.