Abstract

Fluorozirconate and fluoroha fnate glasses have great potential in fiber optics and laser host applications. For this reason, there has been exceptional interest in the optical properties of ions in this material. In this work, the optical absorption, emission, excitation and lifetimes of the various transitions for impurities such as Ho³⁺, Pr³⁺, Er³⁺, and Mn²⁺ in these glasses is presented. The measured oscillator strengths and radiative rates for several transitions are compared with calculated values based on Judd-Ofelt theory. Non-radiative transition rates for the excited states were determined by the difference between the measured rates and the calculated radiative rates. As the impurity levels approach 2% energy transfer becomes important. In almost all cases multiphonon emission and energy transfer account for the nonradiative transitions. The low temperature multi-phonon emission rates are generally in agreement with the rates predicted by the phenomological energy gap law. In addition, the crystallization of ZBLA glass was studied using Er³⁺, Ho³⁺ and Mn²⁺ ions as probes. Isocronal heating data indicate that the glass undergoes rapid devitrification around 630K.

© 1984 Optical Society of America