PHYSICAL AND ABSORPTION PROPERTIES OF ND3-ALKALI FLUOROBOROPHOSPHATE OPTICAL-GLASSES( DOPED MIXED)

A new family of three neodymium doped alkali fluoroborophosphate glass es with mixed alkali fluorides as network modifiers have been prepared to study their physical and absorption properties at room temperature . The refractive indices (at 589.3 nm) and densities of these glasses have been measured to examine the effects of the chemical composition on these parameters and also on the other related physical properties. By performing a least square fit analysis, the Judd-Ofelt parameters (Omega(lambda)) have been calculated and are in turn used to evaluate Transition probability( A), radiative lifetime (tau(R)) and branching ratios (beta(R)%) for the fluorescent levels. To understand the lasing efficiency of these materials, the values of the spectroscopic qualit y factor(Omega(4)/Omega(6)) has been evaluated. The radiative characte ristics of these mixed alkali fluoroborophosphate glasses have been co mpared with the results obtained on Nd-glasses possessing the individu al alkali fluoroborophosphate glasses as the network modifiers. It is found that Nd-mixed alkali glasses are showing more favorable radiativ e properties compared with the Nd-glasses having only a single alkali fluorides as the network modifiers. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Sci ence B.V.