Er(3+)-doped transparent glass ceramics containing micron-sized SrF2 crystals for 2.7 μm emissions

Er(3+)-doped transparent glass ceramics containing micron-sized SrF2 crystals were obtained by direct liquid-phase sintering of a mixture of SrF2 powders and precursor glass powders at 820 °C for 15 min. The appearance and microstructural evolution of the SrF2 crystals in the resulting glass ceramics were investigated using X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission microscopy. The SrF2 crystals are ~15 μm in size and are uniformly distributed throughout the fluorophosphate glass matrix. The glass ceramics achieve an average transmittance of 75% in the visible region and more than 85% in the near-IR region. The high transmittance of the glass ceramics results from matching the refractive index of the SrF2 with that of the precursor glass. Energy dispersive spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra, and photoluminescence lifetimes verified the incorporation of Er(3+) into the micron-sized SrF2 crystals. Intense 2.7 μm emissions due to the (4)I11/2 → (4)I13/2 transition were observed upon excitation at 980 nm using a laser diode. The maximum value of the emission cross section of Er(3+) around 2.7 μm is more than 1.2 × 10(-20) cm(2), which indicates the potential of using transparent glass ceramics containing micron-sized SrF2 crystals for efficient 2.7 μm lasers and amplifiers.