Spectroscopic Properties of Yb3+-Doped Silicate Glasses

Abstract

Yb3+-doped silicate glasses (SiO2-Nb2O5-K2O-ZnF2) were prepared by a conventional melt quenching technique and their spectroscopic properties were investigated. The emission cross-section was found to be 0.53 x 10(-20) cm(2) at 1006 nm from the reciprocity method described by McCumber from the measured absorption spectrum of 1.0 mol% Yb2O3-doped glass. The lifetime (tau(exp)) and figure of merit (sigma(em) x tau(exp)) for the F-2(5/2) -> F-2(7/2) transition of 1.0 mol% Yb2O3-doped silicate glass, were evaluated to be 0.50 ms and 0.26 cm(2) ms, respectively. The other spectroscopic parameters, beta(min), I-sat and I-min were found to be 0.17, 29.00 kW/cm(2) and 4.90 kW/cm(2), respectively. The results indicate that the present Yb3+-doped silicate glasses could be useful as laser gain media at 1006 nm.