Development of Novel Yb3+ Doped Glass-based Materials for Advanced Optical Fibers
Vakula, Natalia (2025)
Tampere University
2025
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tohtoriohjelma - Doctoral Programme in Engineering and Natural Sciences
Tekniikan ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Väitöspäivä
2025-09-08
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-4091-9
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-4091-9
Tiivistelmä
This dissertation explores the development of a new class of Yb3+ doped glass-based materials (glasses, glass-ceramics and composites) for advanced optical fiber applications. This work addresses challenges in optimizing the spectroscopic performance and radiation tolerance of Yb3+ doped glasses, often limited due to ion clustering, quenching effects, and structural instability under irradiation. To overcome these limitations, Yb3+ ions were embedded in crystals within the glass matrices, with the aim of combining the advantageous properties of both crystals and glasses.
Two main fabrication strategies were investigated: controlled crystallization of Yb3+ doped glasses with the goal of fabricating transparent glass-ceramics, and the direct incorporation of pre-formed Yb3+ doped crystals into glass using solution doping, remelt, and direct doping methods. Tellurite, phosphate, and silica-based systems were studied and characterized. From the analysis of their structural and spectroscopic properties, some crystals, such as LiNbO3:Yb3+ and YbPO4, remain stable during high temperature processing, including melting and fiber drawing while others undergo partial or complete dissolution depending on the method and processing conditions. Nonetheless, composite fibers were successfully drawn from composite preforms and demonstrated both light propagation and near-infrared emission. The glass and composites were subjected to proton irradiation and were found to exhibit radioluminescence response, confirming the potential of these materials for use in radiation-rich environments such as space.
Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating functional glass–crystal composite fibers and highlights their potential for use in advanced photonic applications, particularly where enhanced optical performance and radiation resistance are required.
Two main fabrication strategies were investigated: controlled crystallization of Yb3+ doped glasses with the goal of fabricating transparent glass-ceramics, and the direct incorporation of pre-formed Yb3+ doped crystals into glass using solution doping, remelt, and direct doping methods. Tellurite, phosphate, and silica-based systems were studied and characterized. From the analysis of their structural and spectroscopic properties, some crystals, such as LiNbO3:Yb3+ and YbPO4, remain stable during high temperature processing, including melting and fiber drawing while others undergo partial or complete dissolution depending on the method and processing conditions. Nonetheless, composite fibers were successfully drawn from composite preforms and demonstrated both light propagation and near-infrared emission. The glass and composites were subjected to proton irradiation and were found to exhibit radioluminescence response, confirming the potential of these materials for use in radiation-rich environments such as space.
Overall, this work demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating functional glass–crystal composite fibers and highlights their potential for use in advanced photonic applications, particularly where enhanced optical performance and radiation resistance are required.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [5325]