Vakula Natalia, Bardins Matiss, Nasser Khaldoon, Bondzior Bartosz, Boussard-Plédel Catherine, Troles Johann, Petit Laeticia
Photonics Laboratory, Tampere University, Korkeakoulunkatu 3, Tampere 33720, Finland.
Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Okólna 2, Wroclaw 50-422, Poland.
ACS Omega. 2025 Apr 17;10(16):16430-16439. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c10954. eCollection 2025 Apr 29.
Composites, defined here as crystals embedded in glass matrices, are promising materials for photonics applications, as they combine the properties of the crystals with the beneficial properties of glass (easy and cheap to process, drawing capability). Yb-ion doping is of particular interest for developing laser fibers emitting around 1 μm due to its simple energy levels, minimal excited-state absorption, and reduced quenching effects. Here, CaWO:Yb, YbSiO, and LiNbO:Yb crystals are prepared using a solid-state reaction and added into a phosphate glass matrix, the composition of which is selected based on its drawability. The spectroscopic properties of the composites are used to evidence the reaction of the crystals with the glass matrix during composite preparation. Partial to almost complete decomposition of the crystals occurs, depending on their composition and the composite preparation method, leading to the diffusion of the crystal elements into the glass network. The composite with embedded LiNbO:Yb crystals is successfully prepared as a glass-based rod, which is drawn into a single-index fiber. Despite the presence of crystals in the fiber, light can propagate through the fiber, which emits light at ∼1 μm. This study demonstrates the potential of composite fibers for lasing applications.
在此定义为嵌入玻璃基质中的晶体的复合材料，是光子学应用中很有前景的材料，因为它们将晶体的特性与玻璃的有益特性（易于加工且成本低廉、具备拉丝能力）结合在了一起。由于其能级简单、激发态吸收极小且猝灭效应降低，镱离子掺杂对于开发发射波长约为1μm的激光光纤尤为重要。在此，采用固态反应制备了CaWO:Yb、YbSiO和LiNbO:Yb晶体，并将其添加到磷酸盐玻璃基质中，该基质的成分是根据其拉丝能力选择的。复合材料的光谱特性用于证明在复合材料制备过程中晶体与玻璃基质的反应。根据晶体的成分和复合材料制备方法，晶体发生部分至几乎完全分解，导致晶体元素扩散到玻璃网络中。成功制备了嵌入LiNbO:Yb晶体的复合材料作为玻璃基棒，并将其拉制成单模光纤。尽管光纤中存在晶体，但光仍可通过光纤传播，并在约1μm处发光。本研究证明了复合光纤在激光应用中的潜力。
