Lasing at 1065 nm in bulk Nd³⁺-doped telluride-tungstate glass

We have achieved, for the first time to our knowledge, lasing in a new type of telluride-tungstate glass host doped with neodymium: Nd³⁺:(0.8)TeO₂-(0.2)WO₃. Lasing was obtained at 1065 nm with two samples containing 0.5 mol% and 1.0 mol% Nd₂O₃. During gain-switched operation, slope efficiencies of 12% and 10% were obtained with the 0.5 mol% and 1.0 mol% doped samples, respectively, at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz. Judd-Ofelt analysis was further employed to determine the emission cross section σ_e at 1065 nm from the absorption spectra and lifetime data. The emission cross section from the Judd-Ofelt analysis came to 3.23 ± 0.09 × 10^-20 cm², in reasonable agreement with the value of 2.0 ± 0.13 × 10^-20 cm² obtained from the analysis of laser threshold data.