Structural and optical properties of barium titanium borate glasses doped with ytterbium

Barium titanium borate glasses doped with ytterbium ions were fabricated via standard melt quenching technique. The building structure of the glass matrices doped with ascendant ratios of ytterbium ions were studied using Raman and FTIR spectroscopies. The UV–Vis–NIR optical absorption spectra were investigated and used to calculate optical bandgaps, Urbach energies, refractive indices, metallization criterion, optical basicity, and dispersion parameters. The absorption and emission cross-sections and gain spectra for 2F5/2 → 2F7/2 transition of ytterbium ions were investigated. The high values of the emission cross-sections of the studied glasses make them strong candidates for laser and amplifier applications.