This paper reports the preparation and characterization of three new series of Nd 3 + -doped optical glasses based on GeO 2 , TeO 2 and V 2 O 5 . By the measurement of refractive indices (n F , n d ,n C ) and ultrasonic velocities (V 1 , V t ), non-linearity and elastic properties of the glasses have been studied. By the use of an Ar + laser (488 nm), the lifetimes of the lasing transition ( 4 F 3 2 → 4 I 1 1 2 ) at 1.06 μm have been determined for the semiconducting laser glasses.