Laser fluorescence in a glass prism

[Minguillan]

Hello,

 

I made a fluorescence beam in a glass prism with two lasers of different wavelength. Did anybody try this before? With a 532 nm laser I saw a red beam inside and using another of 405 nm I obtained a yellow ray.

 

You can see this experiment in this video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uOtIWizpZw

 

Thank you!

 

[Sato]

I haven't, but nice video!

[swansont]

Glass often has additives in it; some glass is doped to increase the index of refraction (e.g. leaded glass, aka lead crystal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass#Lead_crystal another is uranium glass) so you're probably seeing fluorescence from whatever dopant was used.

 

The fluorescence from the blue light may be due to manganese.

[Minguillan]

I haven't, but nice video!

Thanks!

Glass often has additives in it; some glass is doped to increase the index of refraction (e.g. leaded glass, aka lead crystal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_glass#Lead_crystal another is uranium glass) so you're probably seeing fluorescence from whatever dopant was used.

 

The fluorescence from the blue light may be due to manganese.

Thanks for the explanation!

I have this prism and I didn't know which was the reason of this fluorescence.

[swansont]

There are some pretty pictures on Google. Apparently uranium glass will strongly fluoresce green when you hit it with UV light.

 

How much power are the laser pointers you used?

[Minguillan]

The lasers of 532 nm and 405 nm have 30 mW and 5 mW, respectively.

[swansont]

The lasers of 532 nm and 405 nm have 30 mW and 5 mW, respectively.

Cool. I have to fire up my green laser pointer and see if I can see this in any glass I own. Also now want to get a blue laser, and dig out my UV flashlight.

[Minguillan]

I try this with many glass at home and I didn't observe any fluorescence... but with virgin olive oil you can observe this phenomenon, also.

 

I show this in the next photograph:

 

[John Cuthber]

Good optical glass shouldn't glow under visible light.

The additives used to increase refractive index etc also shouldn't- so the effect in the OP is due to impurities which just happen to be there in the glass.