Influence of the melting temperature and rate of cooling the melt to the glass making temperature on the redox equilibria Fe2+ ⇄ Fe3+ and Cu+ ⇄ Cu2+ in aluminum potassium barium phosphate glasses

This paper reports on the results of the investigation of aluminum potassium barium phosphate glasses that contain copper and iron additives and have compositions similar to the composition of the matrix of the KGSS 0180/35 neodymium phosphate glass used for fabricating large-sized active elements intended for high-power laser amplifiers with a high output energy. The redox equilibrium of iron ions has been studied as a function of the melting temperature of the glass (850, 1100, and 1300°C). The redox equilibrium of iron or copper ions and their contributions to the nonactive absorption coefficient of glasses prepared at the melting temperature (1100°C) or after cooling of the glass melt at different rates to the glass making temperature (850°C) have been investigated. It has been established that a decrease in the melting temperature of the glass leads to a shift in the redox equilibrium of iron ions toward the formation of Fe 3+ ions. During cooling of the glass melt from 1100 to 850°C, the redox equilibrium of copper (iron) ions shifts toward the formation of Cu 2+ (Fe 3+ ) ions; in this case, the lower the rate of cooling the melt, the larger the shift. At the minimum rate of cooling the glass melt (250°C for 180 min), the contribution of copper ions to the nonactive absorption coefficient increases by 25%, whereas the corresponding contribution of iron ions decreases by 40%.