Preparation and 1.3 μm emission of Pr3+ doped transparent nano-glass ceramics containing SrF2

Abstract

Transparent glass ceramics containing fluorite nano-crystals were developed from oxyfluoride glasses containing 32 mol% SrF2 doped with Pr 3+ and Yb3+ ions. Materials containing xSrF2 + (32-x)CaF2 were also prepared and their fluorescence properties were investigated. Fluorite solid solution crystals containing lanthanide ions were precipitated as a single phase in all the glass ceramic compositions by heat-treatment at appropriate temperatures. The glass ceramics showed Pr 3+: 1.3 μm emission, the intensity of which became stronger with increasing SrF2 content and heat-treatment temperature, while only the 1 μm emission of Yb3+ was observed in all the as-made glasses. The lattice constant of fluorite crystals increased with increasing Sr content. Among all the samples, the glass ceramic sample with 32 mol% SrF2 showed the strongest 1.3 μm emission.