Structural and optical investigations of RE3+: Yb, Er, Sm, Nd, Ce-doped multi-functional silica glasses for photonic applications

Abstract The influence of various trivalent lanthanides was investigated in the silica phosphate multi-component glass matrix, synthesized by the sol-gel method. The prepared glasses were analyzed to explore the degree of bandwidth amplification for telecommunication systems, and the potentiality of lasing media and smart glass films. Alkaline earth metal ions of Ca 2+ were effectuated as a glass modifier, mediating the formation of non-bridging oxygen with the glass formers, and imputing favorable structural attributes to the glasses for versatile applications. The bonding parameter derived from the average nephelauxetic ratio implies covalency around the rare earth ion sites in the Er 3+ and Nd 3+ doped systems, while the Sm 3+ doped glass exhibits ionicity. In the silica-based glass matrix singly doped with Yb 3+ , the coexistence of Yb 3+ /Yb 2+ ions was evidenced. Transitions across 4f 14 and 4f 13 5d levels of Yb 2+ , with an experimental lifetime of 45.8 ns would provide prospective pulsed yellow lasers, for non-invasive therapeutics. Er 3+ doped glass evinced a large bandwidth of 93.775 nm at 1477 nm and a high quantum efficiency of 97%, favorable for O + E + S-band telecommunication networks. The transition corresponding to 4 G 5 / 2 → 6 H 7 / 2 of Sm 3+ and 2 G 7 / 2 → 4 I 9 / 2 of Nd 3+ is suggestive that the respective doped glasses could be devised into solid-state red and green laser sources. Novel near-infrared emission at 1476 nm was also evidenced in the Sm 3+ and Nd 3+ doped systems. Prominent absorption at 280 nm and complete transparency in the visible region observed in the Ce 3+ mono-doped system make it ideal for smart glasses as UVB and UVC shielding films.