Scientific Reports (Mar 2024)

Pr3+-doped YPO4 nanocrystal embedded into an optical fiber

  • Dominik Dorosz,
  • Marcin Kochanowicz,
  • Rafael Valiente,
  • Andrea Diego-Rucabado,
  • Fernando Rodríguez,
  • Nuria Siñeriz-Niembro,
  • José I. Espeso,
  • Magdalena Lesniak,
  • Piotr Miluski,
  • Sylvia Conzendorf,
  • Juliane Posseckardt,
  • Zhongquan Liao,
  • Gloria Lesly Jimenez,
  • Robert Müller,
  • Martin Lorenz,
  • Anka Schwuchow,
  • Martin Leich,
  • Adrian Lorenz,
  • Katrin Wondraczek,
  • Matthias Jäger

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57307-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Optical fiber with YPO4:Pr3+ nanocrystals (NCs) is presented for the first time using the glass powder—NCs doping method. The method’s advantage is separate preparation of NCs and glass to preserve luminescent and optical properties of NCs once they are incorporated into optical fiber. The YPO4:Pr3+ nanocrystals were synthesized by the co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods, optimized for size (< 100 nm), shape, Pr3+ ions concentration (0.2 mol%), and emission lifetime. The core glass was selected from the non-silica P2O5-containing system with refractive index (n = 1.788) close to the NCs (n o = 1.657, n e = 1.838). Optical fiber was drawn by modified powder-in-tube method after pre-sintering of glass powder—YPO4:Pr3+ (wt 3%) mixture to form optical fiber preform. Luminescent properties of YPO4:Pr3+ and optical fiber showed their excellent agreement, including sharp Pr3+ emission at 600 nm (1D2–3H4) and 1D2 level lifetime (τ = 156 ± 5 µs) under 488 nm excitation. The distribution of the YPO4:Pr3+ NCs in optical fiber were analyzed by TEM-EDS in the core region (FIB-SEM-prepared). The successful usage of glass powder—NCs doping method was discussed in the aspect of promising properties of the first YPO4:Pr3+ doped optical fiber as a new way to develop active materials for lasing applications, among others.

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