Spectroscopic properties of Nd3+ ion in several types of phosphate materials

Neodymium phosphate materials were considered as possible laser media. NaNdP2O7, NaNd(PO3)4, Na3Nd(PO4)2 and Nd3(PO4)O3 phosphates have been synthesized in the solid state reaction protecting the proper conditions characteristic for the each synthesis. Structure, optical properties and vibrational characteristics for the obtained samples have been analyzed taking into account the relations between them. Considering the structure influence of the studied phosphates on their optical properties it was found that the emission efficiency, in that the lifetime in investigated phosphates was not clearly dependent on the type of structure of these materials. Significant improvement of the emission properties is observed only for the NaNd(PO3)4 metaphosphate where the longest Nd–Nd distance appears and the luminescence lifetime of the 4F3/2 level in this material was measured to be 112 μs. It means that among investigated compounds solely NaNd(PO3)4 metaphosphate can be considered as promising stoichiometric laser active material.

► The good optical quality of phosphates were synthesised by the solid state reaction.
► Optical properties are studied by the luminescence spectroscopy and kinetics.
► Significant improvement of the emission properties is observed for NaNd(PO3)4.
► NaNd(PO3)4 can be considered as promising stoichiometric laser active material.