Spectroscopic evaluation of Zn(PO3)(2):Dy3+ glass as an active medium for solid state yellow laser

A spectroscopic investigation of zinc phosphate glass activated with 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 mol% of Dy(PO3)(3) is performed through absorption and luminescence spectra and decay times to study its potentialities for yellow laser operation upon excitation at 399 nm, which fits to the requirements of GaN LEDs. In the 1.0 mol% Dy(PO3)(3)-doped glass a quantum efficiency of 80 +/- 5% was estimated for the dysprosium F-4(9/2) level luminescence, the F-4(9/2) -> H-6(13/2) yellow emission shows greater intensity than the F-4(9/2) -> H-6(15/2) blue emission, as well as a very high optical gain, which might make this glass phosphor a promising gain medium for solid state yellow laser pumped by GaN LEDs. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.