Cooperative luminescence sensitisation and spontaneous Raman scattering in a borate glass doped with Pr3+ and Nd3+ ions

Cooperative sensitisation of luminescence of Nd³⁺ ions at the ⁴F_3/2 → ⁴I_13/2, ⁴I_9/2 transitions by Pr³⁺ ions was observed in a borate glass doped with Pr³⁺–Nd³⁺ ion pairs. The luminescence was excited by a 800-mW, 1.064-μm Nd³⁺:YAG laser. Simultaneously, spontaneous Raman scattering was observed in glasses containing Pr³⁺–Nd³⁺ ion pairs or only Pr³⁺ ions. The Stokes shift from the 9398-cm^–1 excitation line is 794 cm^–1. The mechanism of nonradiative energy transfer is discussed.