New rare-earth-rich fluoroarsenate glasses are synthesized in the M2O, As2O5, BaF2, YF3 system, with M equals Na or K. The glass-forming region is remarkably large in the Na4As2O7, BaF2, YF3 system. Stable compositions with rare-earth fluoride concentration as high as 40 mol% can be synthesized. Thermal and optical properties are given for these new glasses. The behavior of neodymium ions in this new host is investigated in terms of Judd-Ofelt calculations, emission and excitation spectroscopy, and lifetime measurements as a function of temperature and concentration.
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