The Preparation And Properties Of Novel Microcrystal-glass Composites Doped With Nd³⁺ Ions

In recent years, with the rapid development of laser technology, more scientists have committedto the field of realization of high-power solid-state laser output. From the current point of view,whether the laser crystal, laser glass or transparent ceramic laser materials can’t meet therequirements of high-power lasers, due to their vital shortcomings. Compared with conventionallaser materials, microcrystal-glass composite materials combine the advantages of large glasspreparation and high luminous crystals, which open up new research directions for the field of newlaser materials. With the aims to break through the traditional preparation, the paper mainlydiscusses the preparation technology of Nd3+doped fluorophosphate glass ceramics, as well asmicrocrystal-glass composites, to prepare novel composite laser materials with ideal opticalproperties.The main contents and research results are as followed:1. Based on fluorophosphate glass with good optical properties, in order to improve its poormechanical properties and low thermal conductivity, we prepare a kind of transparentfluorophosphate glass ceramics containing CaF2and SrF2nanocrystals by conventional melting andquenching method. Compared with the glass matrix, the Nd3+ions in fluorophosphate glassceramics at the4F3/2â†'4I11/2transition shows longer lifetime and emission cross section: Ï„exp=509μs，σ2p=3.96×10-20cm.2. Based on Mie scattering theory, the mathematical model of the light-scattering properties in themicrocrystal-glass composites was built. It was found that the optical transmittance ofmicrocrystal-glass composites was more significantly affected by the increase in particles contentand refractive index difference between the particles and the matrix.3. Bright near-infrared-emitting CaF2:Nd microcrystal-glass composites were prepared byincorporating the CaF2:Nd nanocrystals into FPA-5glass, with a two-step melt-quenching technique.By matching dispersion curve of the glass matrix and CaF2microcrystal in the range ofUV-Vis-NIR, the transmittance can reach83%. When doped30wt%CaF2:Nd, the fluorescencelifetime of Nd3+at4F3/2â†'4I11/2transition in the transparent microcrystal-glass composite asprepared, is up to518μs.