Thermo-optical properties of OH-free erbium-doped low silica calcium aluminosilicate glasses measured by thermal lens technique

Thermal lens spectrometry (TLS) of thermo-optical properties of low silica content calcium aluminosilicate glasses (27.1Al(2)O(3), 58.1CaO, 7.9SiO(2) and 6.9MgO in mol%) was performed. The thermal diffusivity was 5.7 x 10(-3) cm(2)/s for undoped sample and 4.7 x 10(-3) cm(2)/s for 1.48 mol% Er2O3-do ped one. The ds/dT for undoped samples was 8.6 +/- 0.1 x 10(-6) K-1. The th ermal conductivity was around 14 mW/cm K with some dependence on Er2O3 conc entration. The fraction of the absorbed energy converted into heat by Er2O3 -doped samples was about 60%. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights res erved.