DocumentCode :
3449546
Title :
Lifetime measurements for a potential neodymium 5-/spl mu/m laser
Author :
Jenkins, N.W. ; Bowman, Steven R.
Author_Institution :
Photonics Technol. Branch, Naval Res. Lab., Washington, DC, USA
fYear :
2001
fDate :
11-11 May 2001
Firstpage :
280
Lastpage :
281
Abstract :
Summary form only given. Utilization of low-phonon energy host materials, such as lanthanum trichloride (LaCl/sub 3/), with rare earth doping has enabled laser transitions normally inactive due to multiphonon quenching. Though LaCl/sub 3/ is a good low-phonon energy host material, it is highly hygroscopic, which makes laser development impractical; therefore better host candidates for developing low phonon lasers must be explored. Potassium lead pentachloride, KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/, is an excellent choice for a low phonon energy laser host material. KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ is nonhygroscopic and is therefore easily handled in normal room humidity. KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ is of a group of ternary alkali lead chlorides that are both stable and hard and possesses a transparency range from 0.3-20 /spl mu/m. Other significant properties include relatively low melting temperature at 434/spl deg/C, and it is known to accept rare earth dopants (Bowman et al, 2001). For spectroscopic purposes, five samples of both single and polycrystalline Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ were grown. The samples were measured for absorbance in an FTIR spectrometer from the mid-IR to the visible spectral region. The first three excited states of neodymium were measured for fluorescence lifetime. A Judd-Ofelt analysis (B.R. Judd, Phys. Rev., vol. 127, pp. 750-761, 1962; G.S. Judd, J. Chem. Phys., vol. 37, pp. 511-520, 1962) of the Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ data is performed to determine radiative lifetimes, branching ratios and cross-sections.
Keywords :
Fourier transform spectra; fluorescence; light absorption; neodymium; radiative lifetimes; solid lasers; spectrochemical analysis; 0.3 to 20 micron; 434 C; FTIR spectrometer; Judd-Ofelt analysis; KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/ low phonon energy laser host material; KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/:Nd; LaCl/sub 3/:Nd; Nd excited states; absorbance; branching ratios; fluorescence lifetime; lanthanum trichloride; laser transitions; lifetime measurements; low phonon lasers; low-phonon energy host materials; melting temperature; mid-IR spectral region; multiphonon quenching; neodymium laser; nonhygroscopic material; polycrystalline Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/; potassium lead pentachloride; radiative lifetimes; rare earth dopants.4; rare earth doping; single crystalline Nd:KPb/sub 2/Cl/sub 5/; ternary alkali lead chlorides; transparency range; visible spectral region; Doping; Humidity; Lanthanum; Laser transitions; Lead compounds; Lifetime estimation; Neodymium; Optical materials; Phonons; Spectroscopy;
fLanguage :
English
Publisher :
ieee
Conference_Titel :
Lasers and Electro-Optics, 2001. CLEO '01. Technical Digest. Summaries of papers presented at the Conference on
Conference_Location :
Baltimore, MD, USA
Print_ISBN :
1-55752-662-1
Type :
conf
DOI :
10.1109/CLEO.2001.947803
Filename :
947803
Link To Document :
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