Mid-infrared emissions of Pr3+-doped GeS2–Ga2S3–CdI2 chalcohalide glasses

For elucidation of the glass composition’s influence on the spectroscopic properties in the chalcohalide system and the discovery of a new material for applications in mid-infrared fiber-lasers, a serial Pr3+-doped (100 − x)(0.8GeS2·0.2Ga2S3)xCdI2 (x = 5, 10, 15 and 20) chalcohalide glasses were prepared. ∼4.6 μm mid-infrared fluorescence emission from Pr3+ in the sulfide glass is successfully observed at room temperature excited by a 2.01 μm Tm3+:YAG ceramic laser system, and the effective line-width of fluorescence band is 106–227 nm. Intense compositional dependence of mid-infrared emissions is found. The radiative rates of Pr3+ ions in these glasses were calculated by using the Judd–Ofelt theory.