High laser performance of an Al³⁺ and Nd³⁺-codoping in sodium-borotellurite glass for NIR broadband laser application

The main spectroscopic properties of Nd3+ ions immersed in an oxide glass with composition 59B(2)O(3)-10TeO(2)-30Na(2)O-1Al(2)O(3):1Nd(2)O(3) (in mol%) has been studied by X-ray diffraction, EDS, SEM, luminescence, transmission, FTIR and Raman spectroscopies. Very high values of the main spectroscopic parameters of Nd3+ ions were determined from the omega t intensity parameters according to Judd-Ofelt formalism. The F-4(3/2) -> I-4(11/2) NIR transition at 1060 nm of Nd3+ ions is evaluated from the relevant laser parameters reporting a very high quantum efficiency (95%), large effective bandwidth (36 nm), high laser performance quality (9.19 x 10(-2)4 cm(2)center dot s) and low saturation intensity (2.04 x 10(8) W/m(2)). The excellent non-linear properties of Nd3+ ions are attributed to a microcrystallization inside the glass induced by Al3+ and Nd3+-codoping and a high sodium concentration which intensified the ligand field strengths around Nd3+ ions. Such microcristallization is verified by the presence of several crystalline peaks observed in the FTIR and Raman spectra and identified as Al-O and Te-O linkage vibrations in alpha-Al2O3 and alpha-TeO2 phases. As a consequence, a significant reduction of free hydroxyls is appreciated at the midinfrared region in both spectra. Whereas the presence of graphite was detected in the Raman spectrum at 2450 and 2889 cm(-1). The great centrosymmetric loss of the Nd3+-sites is indicated by a high value of the Omega(2) parameter (36.98 x 10(-20) cm(2)) and confirmed by matched vibrational modes displayed in the deconvoluted Raman and FTIR spectra from 370 to 1750 cm(-1) according to the Mutual Exclusion Rule for non-centrosymmetric point groups. The X-ray pattern of the Nd3+-doped oxide glass shows three different amorphous phases generated by delocalized and localized 4f-electrons indicating coexistence of ionic and covalent oxide-metal bonds as characteristic of the invert glasses. However, the compositional parameters confirmed a preferentially covalent domain of oxide-metal bonds as well as presence of crystalline phase, being both structural characteristics consistent with the Judd-Ofelt, transmission, FTIR and Raman results. Finally, the radiative properties are compared with those reported for other Nd3+-activated aluminate glasses suggesting that Al3+ and Nd3+-codoped sodium-borotellurite glass has a great potential for NIR broadband laser application.