Optical properties of pure, Nd3+-doped and Pr3+-doped fluoroindate glasses

Fluoroindate glasses doped with Pr3+ or Nd3+ are promising materials for the development of fluoride fibers, amplifiers and lasers. The optical properties of an InF3SrF2ZnF2GdF3NaF composition pure and doped up to 3 mol% have been systematically studied. The extended UV transmission of this glass allows the identification of most of the 8S → 6P and8S → 6I transitions of Gd ions. The optical transitions of Pr3+ and Nd3+ have been identified in absorption between 250 and 10 000 nm. Fluorescence and excitation spectra and lifetime have been measured at 300 K. Most of the transitions have been identified.