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Title: Preparation, optical and laser properties of Nd-doped sol-gel silica

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7104946

A novel sol-gel process has been used to prepare homogeneous, fully dense, cylindrical samples of neodymium-doped silica and neodymium- aluminum-doped silica. The absorption and emission spectra, fluorescent lifetimes and quantum yields of all samples were measured. The quantum yields of Nd{sub 2}O{sub 3}-SiO{sub 2} samples wee very low due to clustering of the Nd in the silica matrix. The incorporation of alumina eliminated the clustering and quantum yields up to 55% were obtained. We showed that these quantum yields of less than unity were caused by residual OH quenching of the Nd fluorescence. The fluorescent properties were unchanged when the OH was replaced with OD. One sample was demonstrated to lase under laser pumping.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
7104946
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JC-109256; CONF-920792-25; ON: DE92019378
Resource Relation:
Conference: SPIE international symposium on optical applied science and engineering, San Diego, CA (United States), 19-24 Jul 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English