New Nd-doped heavy oxide metal glasses for NIR light emission

We propose new efficient thermally and mechanically stable material for lum inescence in the spectral range 1-1.9 mum on the base of PbO-Bi2O3-Ga2O3-Ba O glass hosts doped by Nd3+ ions. A substantial influence of energy transfe r processes between the host and Nd3+ ions is demonstrated experimentally t hrough the dependences of near-infrared photoluminescence on light polariza tion and excitation wavelength. Only polarized excited pulsed XeII laser li ght (lambda = 714 nm) gives substantial luminescent output with efficiency up to 76%. Role of phonon-relaxation subsystem in the observed luminescence is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.