Dy3+-doped Ga–Sb–S chalcogenide glasses for mid-infrared lasers

•Novel Ga–Sb–S chalcogenide glasses doped with Dy3+ ions were synthesized.•The glasses show good thermal stability and excellent infrared transparency.•The glasses show low phonon energy and intense mid-infrared emissions.•The mid-infrared emissions have high quantum efficiency.•The mid-infrared emissions have large stimulated emission cross sections.

Novel Ga–Sb–S chalcogenide glasses doped with different amount of Dy3+ ions were prepared. Their thermal stability, optical properties, and mid-infrared (MIR) emission properties were investigated. The glasses show good thermal stability, excellent infrared transparency, very low phonon energy (∼306 cm−1), and intense emissions centered at 2.95, 3.59, 4.17 and 4.40 μm. Three Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters (Ω2 = 8.51 × 10−20 cm2, Ω4 = 2.09 × 10−20 cm2, and Ω6 = 1.60 × 10−20 cm2) are obtained, and the related radiative transition properties are evaluated. The high quantum efficiencies and large stimulated emission cross sections of the MIR emissions (88.10% and 1.11 × 10−20 cm2 for 2.95 μm emission, 75.90% and 0.38 × 10−20 cm2 for 4.40 μm emission, respectively) in the Dy3+-doped Ga–Sb–S glasses make them promising gain materials for the MIR lasers.

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