Comparison of spectroscopic and lasing properties of different types of sol-gel glass matrices containing Rh-6G.

Rhodamine-6G (Rh-6G) is embedded in sol-gel glass samples which have been prepared by three different methods namely: 1) using HCl as catalyst and glycerol as Drying Control Chemical Additive (DCCA), 2) using HCl as catalyst at 60 degrees C and drying at room temperature and 3) using HCl as catalyst at 60 degrees C and heated at 600 degrees C for 3 h. Comparative studies of spectroscopic and lasing properties of the three types of Rh-6G containing samples were carried out with the lapse of time upto 8 months. Photostability of Rh-6G containing sol-gel samples is measured in terms of half life under Nitrogen laser pumping as number of pulses of N2 laser necessary to reduce the dye laser intensity to 50% of the original value and value is 7500 pulses at 1.67 Hz rate. The best performance of Rh-6G, as far as its spectroscopic and lasing properties are concerned was found in third type of host matrices using HCl as catalyst at 60 degrees C and heated at 600 degrees C for 3 h.