Matrizes vítreas de telurito não linear dopado com neodímio para aplicações ópticas

Abstract

Nd-doped laser Materials are very attractive and extensively studied for a wide variety of applications because of its easy operation in 4 level mode and generally high gain cross sections. The search of new solid-state laser hosts doped with Nd having specific thermal, optical and mechanical properties is still very attractive. In order to minimize nonradiative multiphonon relaxations and optimizing quantum efficiency of the Nd transition 4F3/2→4I11/2, is suitable to work with hosts with low maximum phonon frequencies and low levels of OH impurities. The Te02-ZnO glass, combines good mechanical stability, chemical durability, high linear and nonlinear refraction, together with low phonon energies (~750cm- 1), a wide transmission window (0.4-6µm) and a high solubility of rare earth ions. The large linear refractive indices (1.8 < n < 2.3) of tellurite glasses involve large cross sections of stimulated emission. Their high nonlinear optical properties can be used advantageously for the development of subpicosecond mode-locked pulsed lasers through Kerr lens effect. The characteristics of the mixed tellurite glass and zinc oxide (Te02-ZnO) motivated the research presented in this work, in which the nonlinear optical and spectroscopic characteristics, the stimulated emission properties for Te02-ZnO glasses doped with Nd only and codoped with silver nanoparticles were studied. The absorption spectra results were analyzed according to the Judd-Offelt framework. Photoluminescence and lifetime experiments were also carried out. From these, the emission bands were identified and the lifetime of the transition 4F3/2→ 4l11/2 for each sample. The high nonlinear parameters were measured with the aid of z-scan experiments. Finally, the samples were subjected to resonant cavity tests with CW laser action efficiency up to 21%. The results were encouraging. This shows that the TeO2-ZnO:Nd deserve further investigation and even improvements like anti reflective cover.