Thulium Oxide/Thulium(III) Oxide/Thulium Sesquioxide/Tm2O3 Powder 12036-44-1

Thulium Oxide Properties

High Purity Thulium Oxide Specification

【Packaging】25KG/bag Requirements:moisture proof, dust-free, dry, ventilate and clean.

What is Thulium Oxide used for?

Thulium(III) Oxide (Tm₂O₃) Powder is a high-purity rare earth compound prized for its unique photonic, nuclear, and catalytic properties. As one of the scarcest lanthanide oxides, it enables cutting-edge technologies across multiple disciplines:

1. Photonics & Optical Engineering  

- Fiber Optic Communications:  

  ✓ Erbium-Thulium Co-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDTFAs)**: Critical for extending C-band (1530–1565 nm) to L-band (1565–1625 nm) amplification in DWDM systems, enhancing long-haul telecommunication capacity.  

  ✓ Upconversion Nanoparticles: Tm³⁺-doped ZBLAN (ZrF₄-BaF₂-LaF₃-AlF₃-NaF) fibers for near-infrared-to-visible light conversion in bioimaging and laser cooling.  

- Solid-State Lasers:  

  ✓ Actively used in ~2 µm wavelength lasers (Tm:YAG, Tm:YLF) for:  

    - Medical applications (lidar-assisted surgery, kidney stone ablation)  

    - Atmospheric sensing (water vapor detection via differential absorption lidar)  

2. Advanced Materials Synthesis  

- Ceramic Engineering:  

  ✓ Dopant for yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) to enhance fracture toughness in thermal barrier coatings (jet engines, gas turbines).  

  ✓ Stabilizer in high-k dielectric ceramics for multilayer capacitors and MEMS devices.  

- Specialty Glasses:  

  ✓ Modifies refractive index in chalcogenide glasses for mid-IR optics (3–5 µm range).  

  ✓ Enhances radiation hardness in scintillator glasses for particle physics detectors.  

3. Nuclear Technology 

- Neutron Absorption:  

  ✓ High thermal neutron capture cross-section (σ = 105 barns) enables use in:  

    - Control rods for pressurized water reactors (PWRs)  

    - Radiation shielding composites (Tm₂O₃-B₄C-epoxy hybrids)  

- Radioisotope Production:  

  ✓ Precursor for neutron-activated ¹⁷⁰Tm (t₁/₂ = 128.6 days), used in:  

    - Compact  X-ray sources for portable medical/industrial radiography  

    - Calibration standards for gamma spectroscopy  

4. Biomedical Technologies

- Nanostructured Biosensors:  

  ✓ Tm₂O₃@SiO₂ core-shell nanoparticles for:  

    - pH-responsive tumor microenvironment mapping 

    - Time-gated luminescence detection of biomarkers (reducing autofluorescence)  

- Radiotherapy Enhancement:  

  ✓ X-ray-excited nanoscintillators for deep-tissue photodynamic therapy (PDT) with subcellular precision.  

5. Quantum & Electronic Applications 

- Quantum Memory:  

  ✓ Tm³⁺-doped crystals (e.g., Tm:YGG) for optical quantum storage via atomic frequency comb protocols.  

- Catalysis:  

  ✓ Promotes methane partial oxidation in chemical looping combustion (CLC) systems.  

  ✓ Enhanced activity in CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol via Tm₂O₃/CeO₂ nanocomposites.  

6. Emerging Frontiers  

- Ultra-High-Density Data Storage:  

  ✓ Photochromic Tm₂O₃ thin films for 5D optical data encoding (polarization/wavelength multiplexing).  

- Space Technology:  

  ✓ Radiation-resistant coatings for satellite electronics (Tm₂O₃-Al₂O₃ nanolaminates).  

Key Properties Driving Innovation:  

- Exceptional 4f-4f electronic transitions (450–800 nm emission)  

- Thermal stability up to 2300°C (in inert atmospheres)  

- Paramagnetic behavior exploitable in spintronic devices  

Safety Note: Requires glove-box handling for nanoscale powders; naturally occurring Tm is non-radioactive, but neutron-activated forms demand NRC compliance.  

This strategic material bridges classical optics and quantum technologies, with growing demand in next-gen telecommunications, clean energy systems, and precision medicine. Ongoing research explores its role in topological insulators and solid-state refrigeration.