Magneto-optical borogermanate glasses and fibers containing Tb3+

Abstract

New glass compositions containing high concentrations of Tb3+ ions were developed aiming at the production of magneto-optical (MO) fibers. This work reports on the structural and MO properties of a new glass composition based on (100 − x)(41GeO2–25B2O3–4Al2O3–10Na2O–20BaO) − xTb4O7. Morphological analysis (HR-TEM) of the sample with the highest concentration of Tb3+ ions confirmed the homogeneous distribution of Tb3+ ions and the absence of nanoclusters. All the samples presented excellent thermal stability against crystallization (ΔT > 100 °C). An optical fiber was manufactured by a fiber drawing process. The UV–Vis spectra of the glasses showed Tb3+ electronic transitions and optical windows varying from 0.4 to 1.6 μm. The magneto-optical properties and the paramagnetic behaviors of the glasses were investigated using Faraday rotation experiments. The Verdet constant (VB) values were calculated at 500, 650, 880, 1050, 1330, and 1550 nm. The maximum VB values obtained at 650 and 1550 nm for the glass with x = 18 mol% were -128 and − 17.6 rad T−1 m−1, respectively. The VB values at 500 and 1550 nm for the optical fiber containing 8 mol% of Tb4O7 were − 110.2 and − 9.5 rad T−1 m−1, respectively, while the optical loss at around 880 nm was 6.4 dB m−1.

Micrometric patterning of a borogermanate glass containing terbium by thermal poling to manage luminescence and second order optical properties

“…In addition, glasses are great hosts for rare-earth (RE) ions, which favors the search for luminescent materials with improved optical properties [5][6][7]. Borogermanate glasses containing Tb 3+ ions have been investigated in recent years and their potential for photonics and magneto-optical devices have been highlighted [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Indeed, they are interesting materials due to their luminescent and magnetic properties emerging from the partially filled 4f electronic configurations of terbium [8][9][10].…”

High Verdet Constant Glass for Magnetic Field Sensors

“…The MO glass fiber realized a low optical loss of 6.4 dB/m at 880 nm. 22 Furthermore, tunable composition makes the glass network more inclusive of paramagnetic ions. For example, the Tb doping content in GeO 2 −PbO−B 2 O 3 −SiO 2 MO glass reaches a high content of 40 mol % and increases to 45 mol % in GeO 2 −B 2 O 3 −P 2 O 5 −ZnO MO glass.…”

“…Glass can be easily processed into any shape and size, and glass fiber manufacturing is a mature technology, making the rare-earth-doped MO fibers promising. The MO glass fiber realized a low optical loss of 6.4 dB/m at 880 nm . Furthermore, tunable composition makes the glass network more inclusive of paramagnetic ions.…”

Thermal and structural modification in transparent and magnetic gallogermanate glasses induced by Gd2O3

“…In the meantime, the synthesis of vitreous materials with high concentrations of rare earth oxides is challenging due to their tendency to devitrify during the cooling process [10], making it difficult to develop optical components. Besides, several glass systems possessing high concentrations of rare earth ions (even up to 37.5 mol% [11]) have been developed and reported in the literature such as germanates [12], [13], germanoborates [1], [2], [14], borates [15], aluminoborates [16],…”