Alkali/mixed alkali oxides having Nd3+: B2O3-TeO2-BaO-ZnO-NaF glasses: Perlustration of optical and luminescence traits for O-band amplification and near-infrared lasers

Six 1.0 mol% Nd ₂O ₃-doped NaF+ZnO+BaO+TeO ₂+B ₂O ₃ glasses containing single and mixed alkali oxides (K ₂O, Na ₂O, Li ₂O, K ₂O/Li ₂O, K ₂O/Na ₂O, and Na ₂O/Li ₂O) were prepared via melt-quenching approach and optical and NIR (near-infrared) emission traits including fluorescence decay times were explored. In all samples, Na ions comprising glass possesses 53.68 nm ∆λ_eff (effective bandwidth), 6.16 × 10 ^‒21 cm ² σ m a x e m i (peak emission cross-section), and 3.31 × 10 ^‒26 cm ³ σ m a x e m i × ∆λ _eff (gain bandwidth) for transition ⁴F _3/2→ ⁴I _13/2 for O-band amplification, and also owns larger σ m a x e m i , σ m a x e m i × ∆λ _eff, and optical gain for ⁴F _3/2→ ⁴I _11/2 for NIR lasing action at 1.06 μm. Further, K ions constituting glass holds larger full width at half maximum (= 46.23 nm) or better ∆λ_eff (= 51.62 nm), moderate branching ratios ( β_R (= 42.37%) and β_exp (= 19%)), and higher radiative decay time (= 662 μs) and τ_meas (= 76.10 μs) for transition ⁴F _3/2→ ⁴I _9/2 for ∼0.9 μm laser operation.