Nd3+ doped CAS glasses: A thermo-optical and spectroscopic investigation

• Two series of CAS glasses, doped up to 5 wt.% Nd2O3, were prepared and characterized.
• We investigate thermo-optical and spectroscopic properties x temperature in Nd3+:CAS glasses.
• Measurements of optical absorption coefficient and emission lifetime were carried out.
• The influence of purity of raw materials was investigated.
• The results are discussed in terms of temperature dependence of these properties and Nd2O3 content.

Previous works have showed that calcium aluminosilicate (CAS) glasses, when prepared under vacuum conditions, are good candidates for solid state laser medium hosts and optical devices due to their appropriated thermal, optical and mechanical properties. These promising results led us to investigate the thermo-optical properties and emission spectra as a function of temperature in Nd3+ doped CAS glasses. Temperature changes in optical systems can cause structural modifications to the host, as well as other effects, such as emission quenching, or self-focalization. In this work, two series of CAS glasses, doped up to 5 wt.% Nd2O3, were prepared and characterized. Measurements of thermal coefficient of optical path length (dS/dT) and emission were performed on both series of Nd3+ doped CAS. In addition, measurements of optical absorption coefficient and emission lifetime were carried out. The results are discussed in terms of temperature dependence of these properties and Nd2O3 content. Comparisons with other glasses, such as LSCAS (low-silica calcium aluminosilicate) are also presented.