US EPA

6858490 

Journal Article 

Thermal and spectroscopic characterization of copper and erbium containing aluminophosphate glass 

Suratwala, T; Steele, R; Destino, J; Wong, L; Norton, M; Laurence, T; Aracne-Ruddle, C; Miller, P; Shen, N; Feit, M; Jimenez, JA; Sendova, M; Mancini, M 

2020 

1 

Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy
ISSN: 1386-1425
EISSN: 1873-3557 

226 

117546 

English 

31634709 

10.1016/j.saa.2019.117546 

WOS:000504048400063 

Thermal, Raman scattering, optical absorption, and photoluminescence characterizations were carried out on aluminophosphate glass containing Cu+/Cu2+ along with near-infrared (IR) emitting Er3+ ions of interest to photonic applications. Material synthesis was carried out by the melt-quench technique wherein Cu+ ions were incorporated at a high concentration by addition of 10 mol% of Cu2O together with SnO. The copper oxide doping was recognized to result in a decrease of the glass transition temperature of the matrix, however Er3+ doping displayed opposite propensity. Raman measurements under 785 nm excitation were consistent with calorimetry data indicating that copper ions modify glass structural features. The degree of copper oxidation during material preparation was assessed quantitatively through the Cu2+ absorption feature around 850 nm. The presence of substantial Cu+ concurred with the significant red shift in the near-ultraviolet glass absorption edge, and was analyzed in the context of optical band gap determinations. An evaluation of the luminescence decay kinetics of Cu+ ions in the presence of Er3+ agreed with a non-radiative energy transfer which appeared more effective for excitation of Cu+ near the glass absorption edge at 400 nm. Such excitation was confirmed to result in the sensitized near-IR emission from Er3+ ions around 1.53 μm of interest to lasers, the telecommunications, and spectral conversion in photovoltaic cells. 

Calorimetry; Glasses; Luminescence; Optical properties; Raman scattering; Rare earths