Thermal and optical properties of Tm3+ doped tellurite glasses

Ultraviolet, visible (UV/VIS) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements were carried out in order to investigate the optical and thermal properties of various 0.5 mol.% Tm2O3 containing (1 - x)TeO2 + xLiCl glasses in molar ratio. The samples were prepared by fusing the mixture of their respective reagent grade powders in a platinum cricuble at 750 degrees C for 30 min. DTA curves taken in the 23-600 degrees C temperature range with a heating rate of 10 degrees C/min reveal a change in the value of the glass transition temperature, Tg, while melting was not observed for the glasses containing LiCl content less than 50 mol.%. These glasses were found to be moisture-resistant. However, the glasses with LiCl content higher than 50 mol.%, in which a melting peak was observed at Tc = 401 degrees C, were moisture-sensitive. Absorption measurements in the UV/VIS region of the glasses without Tm2O3 content show that the Urbach cutoff occurs at about 320 nm and, is relatively independent of the LiCl content. Six absorption bands were observed in the Tm2O3 doped glasses corresponding to the absorption of the 1G4, 3F2, 3F3 and 3F4, 3H5 and 3H4 levels from the 3H6 ground level of Tm3+ ions. The spectra also show that the integrated absorption cross-section of each band depends on the glass composition. Judd-Ofelt theory was used to determine the Judd-Ofelt parameters as well as the radiative transition probabilities for the metastable levels of Tm3+ ions in (0.3)LiCl + (0.7) TeO2: 0.01 Tm2O3 glass which is moisture-resistant.