Research On The Properties And Preparation Of Yb³⁺-doped Tellurite Laser Glass

Since Malman successfully developed the world’s first ruby solid-state lasers,The laser technology has been development for50years. Now laser technology haschanged every aspect of our lives, laser technology has been used in industrialprocessing, bio-medical, defense, military and so on. The beginning of this century,the U.S. National Ignition program is hoped to solve global energy shortages. Lasertechnology has aroused great concern all over the world again. Therefore, the lasergain medium as an important part of the laser technology is very important forresearch.Snitzer successfully prepared the rare earth doped laser glass in the second yearof the invition of the first ruby laser. Currently laser glass as the laser gain mediumhas been developed from the original silicate glasses to phosphate glasses,fluorophosphates, borate glasses, heavy metal oxide glasses (e.g., tellurite glasses,germanate glasses and bismuth glasses) and other glasses. It has been for more thanten years since research of the ytterbium-doped tellurite glass laser in the late1990s.In the past, the study of the tellurite glass mainly confined in the TeO2-ZnO andTeO2-WO3glasses system, mainly due to the glasses scopes of these two systems arerelatively larger and these two glasses systems have good thermal properties. Theresearch mainly focused on improvement the optical properties and gain performanceby adding other heavy metal ions in the glass systems. The other glasses systems ofthe tellurite have been little researched. Since tellurite glasses possese highpolarization and low phonon energy, it is possible to prepare large stimulated emissioncross section and long fluorescence lifetime of the glass doper the rare earth ion. Theresearch of the other tellurite glasses systems doped ytterbium is necessary. Based onthe above reasons, the other glass systems of the Yb3+-doped tellurite were studied inthis paper.There are eight parts in this thesis. The review is presented in chapter one; Thesecond chapter introduces the process of the preparation of laser glass, testing andevaluation of optical performance parameters; the third chapter discusses the Yb3+doped TeO-Bi2O3-Nb2O5glass system; the Yb3+-doped TeO2-Nb2O5-BaO-BaF2glasssystem is investigated in chaper four; the fifth chapter is the Yb3+doped TeO2-PbO-NbO2.5glass systems; Yb3+doped TeO2-YF3-Nb2O5glass system is researched inthe chapter six; the seventh part researches the Yb3+doped TeO2-Nb2O5-TiO2; the last chapter of this article is a summary of the thesis and outlook for the forth research.The main conclusions of his thesis are as following:The tellurite glasses of TeO2-Bi2O3-Nb2O5system doped with Yb2O3have beenresearched. The variation of Nb2O5content influences spectroscopic properties andgain properties of the glasses significantly. The result shows: as the Nb2O5content is15%, the glass has the largest emission cross-sections of1.36pm2, the longestfuorescence lifetime of0.96ms, the highest gain coefficient of1.31ms pm2.Compared to the other glasses doped with Yb3+, this TBN3glasses possesses goodspectroscopic properties, At the same time the thermal properties of the TBN3glass isinvestigated by the differential scanning calorimetry, The result shown that the TBN3glasses has a larger Tof144°C that is far more than100°C.so this glass may bepotentially used in Yb3+-doped medium for solid laser or fiber laser.The tellurite glasses of the TeO2-BaO-BaF-Nb2O5system doped with Yb2O3havebeen investigated. The variation of BaF2content influences spectroscopic propertiesand gain properties of the glasses significantly. With the BaF2substituted the BaO, theemission cross-sections decrease from1.37pm2to1.21pm2, the fuorescence lifetimeincreases from0.71ms to0.96ms. The gaincoefficient increases from0.99ms pm2to1.16ms pm2. Compared to the other glasses doped with Yb3+, the TBNF0and TBNF3glasses possess good spectroscopic properties, At the same time the thermal propertiesof the glass is investigated by the differential scanning calorimetry, The result shownthat crystallization temperation of the TBNF0and TBNF3glasses are infinite and128℃respectively，so the Tof the TBNF0and TBNF3glasses are infinite and128°C thatis far more than100°C.so the glass of TBNF0and TBNF3may be potentially used inYb3+-doped medium for solid laser or fiber laser.The spectroscopic and gain properties of the TeO2-PbO–NbO2.5glasses dopedwith Yb2O3have been researched. The variation of PbO content influencesspectroscopic properties and gain properties of the glasses significantly. It was foundthat with the content of thePbO increasement, the emission cross-section and gaincoefficient increase significantly. As the content of PbO is15%, the glass would bedevitrification, When the content ofPbO is10%, the glass has the largest emissioncross-section value of1.51pm2as comparedwithseveral other tellurite glasses and ahigher gain efficient value of1.03mspm2. These indicates this glass may bepotentially used in Yb3+-doped gain medium for solid laserThe tellurite glasses of the TeO2-YF3-Nb2O5system doped with Yb2O3have been investigated. The variation of YF3content influences spectroscopic properties andgain properties of the glasses significantly. It was found that with the content of theYF3increasement, the emission cross-section dereases gradually，the fluorescencelifetime and the gain coefficient increase significantly. As the content of YF3is15%,the glass would be devitrification, When the content ofYF3is10%, the glass has theemission cross-section value of1.17pm2the fluorescence lifetime of0.72ms, thegain coefficient of0.842ms pm2,as comparedwithseveral other tellurite glasses, thespectroscopic properties and gain properties of the glasses is better than the glasssystem of TeO2–WO3–Bi2O3. To compared with the other commercial glasses, theemission cross-section value of1.17pm2of TNY3glasses is bigger than all thecommercial glases other than the PN glass. The gain coefficient of0.842ms pm2isbigger than that of the FP glasses. These indicates this glass may be potentially usedin Yb3+-doped gain medium for solid laserThe tellurite glasses of the TeO2–TiO2–Nb2O5system doped with Yb2O3havebeen investigated. The variation of TiO2content influences spectroscopic propertiesand gain properties of the glasses significantly. It was found that with the content ofthe TiO2increasement, the emission cross-section increases gradually，As the contentof TiO2is7%, the glass has the emission cross-section value of1.36pm2, thefluorescence lifetime of0.65ms, the gain coefficient of0.88ms pm2, ascomparedwithseveral other tellurite glasses, the gain properties of the glasses isbetween the glass system of TeO2–ZnO–B2O3–BaF2and the glass system of TeO2–Nb2O5–K2O-Li2O. So these indicates this glass may be potentially used inYb3+-doped gain medium for solid laser...