Temperature dependence of the thermophysical properties of Neodymium doped borate glasses

We have experimentally measured the temperature dependence of the thermophysical properties of Nd2O3 doped borate glasses using a combination of the time resolved thermal lens technique with optical interferometry, thermal relaxation calorimetry and photoluminescence methods. Thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity, fluorescence quantum efficiency, linear thermal expansion coefficient and thermal coefficient of the electronic polarizability were determined. The results showed the ability of these techniques to perform measurements very close to the glass transition region providing the absolute values of the measured physical quantities and the glass transition temperatures. In conclusion, it was observed that thermal lens and optical interferometry are advantageous methods for measurements as a function of temperature especially when low temperature scanning rate is required.

► Determination of temperature dependence of the thermophysical properties of Nd2O3 doped borate glasses. ► Combination of the thermal lens technique with optical interferometry, thermal relaxation calorimetry and photoluminescence methods. ► The role to the reduced fluorescence quantum efficiency is presented and discussed. ► High fluorescence quantum efficiency.