RUI: Synthesis and Optical Spectroscopy of Thulium Sensitized Potassium Lead Chloride Laser Materials

RUI：铥敏化钾氯化铅激光材料的合成和光谱研究

• 批准号: 0245455
• 负责人: Joseph Ganem
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Loyola University Maryland, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2007-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0245455&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Synthesis; Optical; Spectroscopy; Thulium

0245455GanemThe proposed research is on thulium-sensitized potassium lead chloride KPb2C15 laser crystals. Research will include synthesizing these materials and performing optical spectroscopy using absorption and laser-induced fluorescence techniques. The KPb2C15 crystalline host is a material that has both mechanical stability and low-phonon energies. When KPb2C15 is doped with rare earth ions, the reduced phonon energies enable useful infrared fluorescence transitions that would be absent in traditional oxide or fluoride laser crystals. Since it is a mechanically stable low-phonon energy crystal, it shows promise for the development of rugged, durable, high-powered, solid-state rare earth-based infrared lasers. Thulium is widely used to sensitize infrared lasers for pumping with low-cost 800 nm diodes. To date no studies of the use of thulium in KPb2C15 have been conducted. The research will measure thulium absorption, emission, and energy transfer to the rare earth ions Pr 3+ and Er 3+ co-doped into KPb2C15.Intellectual Merit of Proposed Research:Interest in low-phonon energy laser materials, especially chloride crystals, has increased significantly in recent years. Long-wavelength electronic transitions are more likely to radiate in a chloride host because the reduced phonon energies inhibit multi-phonon relaxation. Some recent examples: Lasers based on Pr 3+ in LaC13 have been operated at 1.7, 5.2 and 7.2 um with this last transition operating at room temperature. The problem of extreme moisture sensitivity and mechanical instability remains for LaCl3 and has limited the practicality of these devices. The use of KPb2C15, the subject of this proposal, is of merit because it is a mechanically stable chloride crystal and will make possible the development of practical chloride-based infrared lasers. As part of the work under my current NSF grant, we have demonstrated a room temperature diode-pumped 4.6 um Er 3+ laser using KPb2C15. The proposed work is to improve both the Er 3+ laser and Pr 3+ lasers with Tm 3+ sensitization.Broad Impacts of Proposed Research:The proposed research will impact both education programs and vital areas of technology. The technological impact will occur in two areas of special interest to the United States government. - Remote sensing- As of this writing, the Department of Energy (DOE), through its Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NN), is funding an SBIR proposal to develop low-phonon energy materials, including KPb2C15, as part of a program to fund support technologies for sensors used in national security applications. - Infrared countermeasures (IRCM) One motivation for developing the erbium-doped KPb2C15 laser is for IRCM. The 4.6 micron operating wavelength is ideally suited for IRCM since it falls in an atmospheric transmission window between 4 and 5 microns. The significance of the IRCM applications has motivated the Navy to fund a Phase I SBIR contract for the growth of rare earth doped KPb2C15.Thulium-doped KPb2C15 is an area of research not under active exploration by the companies under contract, however it is of interest to them because of the potential to expand the market for the material.The educational impact of this RUI proposal (Research at Undergraduate Institutions), described in the RUI impact statement, includes: undergraduate participation, outreach to other schools (including urban K-12 schools and an all women college) and teaching-research integration.

0245455 Ganem拟议的研究是铥敏化钾氯化铅KPb 2C 15激光晶体。研究将包括合成这些材料和使用吸收和激光诱导荧光技术进行光谱学。KPb 2C 15晶体主体是一种具有机械稳定性和低声子能量的材料。当KPb 2C 15掺杂稀土离子时，减少的声子能量能够实现有用的红外荧光跃迁，这在传统的氧化物或氟化物激光晶体中是不存在的。由于它是一种机械稳定的低声子能量晶体，因此它有望用于开发坚固耐用、高功率的固态稀土基红外激光器。钍被广泛用于敏化红外激光器，用于低成本的800 nm二极管泵浦。迄今为止，尚未进行过在KPb 2C 15中使用铥的研究。本研究将测量稀土离子Pr 3+和Er 3+共掺杂KPb 2 C 15晶体对铥的吸收、发射和能量传递。建议研究的学术价值：近年来，人们对低声子能量激光材料，特别是氯化物晶体的兴趣显著增加。长波长的电子跃迁更可能在氯化物宿主中辐射，因为减少的声子能量抑制多声子弛豫。最近的一些例子：基于Pr 3+在LaC 13中的激光器已经在1.7，5.2和7.2 μ m处工作，最后一个跃迁在室温下工作。对于LaCl 3来说，极端的湿度敏感性和机械不稳定性的问题仍然存在，并且限制了这些装置的实用性。KPb 2C 15的使用是有价值的，因为它是一种机械稳定的氯化物晶体，并将使实用的氯化物基红外激光器的发展成为可能。作为我目前的NSF资助下的工作的一部分，我们已经证明了室温二极管泵浦的4.6 μ m Er 3+激光器使用KPb 2 C 15。建议的工作是改进Er 3+激光器和Pr 3+激光器与Tm 3+敏化。建议的研究的广泛影响：建议的研究将影响教育计划和重要的技术领域。技术影响将发生在美国政府特别感兴趣的两个领域。 - 遥感--在撰写本文时，能源部（DOE）通过其国防核不扩散办公室（NN）正在资助SBIR提案，以开发包括KPb 2C 15在内的低声子能量材料，作为资助国家安全应用中使用的传感器支持技术计划的一部分。- 红外对抗（IRCM）开发掺铒KPb 2C 15激光器的一个动机是用于IRCM。4.6微米的工作波长非常适合IRCM，因为它福尔斯落在4至5微米之间的大气传输窗口中。IRCM应用的重要性促使美国海军资助了一项SBIR合同，用于开发掺稀土的KPb 2C 15。掺铥的KPb 2C 15是一个未被合同公司积极探索的研究领域，但它对他们很感兴趣，因为它有可能扩大该材料的市场。RUI影响声明中所述的“本科院校研究”包括：本科生参与、与其他学校（包括城市K-12学校和一所女子学院）的外联以及教学-研究一体化。