Optical radiative parameters and 1.3 μ m emission anticipation of Pr^{3 +} in two kinds of bismuth-containing oxide glasses with lower phonon energies

Trivalent praseodymium ions were added in bismuth-containing tellurite (LKBBT) and gallate (LKBBG) glasses to develop potential oxide glass amplifier medium operating at 1.3 μ m. Based on optical absorptions, three phenomenological Judd-Ofelt parameters Ω₂, Ω₄ and Ω₆ of Pr^{3 +} have been derived to be 4.14 × 10^{- 20}, 6.88 × 10^{- 20} and 4.71 × 10^{- 20} cm² in LKBBT system, and 3.85 × 10^{- 20}, 7.20 × 10^{- 20} and 3.10 × 10^{- 20} cm² in LKBBG system, respectively. Large Ω₂ values indicate higher asymmetry and stronger covalent environment in them. The branching ratios for ¹G₄ → ³H₅ transition of Pr^{3 +} in the two glass systems arrive at 60.5% and 56.9%, respectively, and the predicted spontaneous-radiative transition rates are as high as 1188 and 1112 s^{- 1}, which are beneficial in achieving efficient 1.3 μ m emission under the pumping of 1.03 μ m laser sources. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.