Broadband near-infrared emission in Er 3+–Tm 3+ co-doped bismuthate glasses

Abstract

In this work, we report near infrared emission spectra of Er 3+–Tm 3+ co-doped Bi 2O 3–GeO 2–Na 2O (BGN) glasses with the excitation of 800 nm laser. A broad emission extending from 1300 to 1650 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼160 nm is obtained in a 1.0 wt% Tm 2O 3 and 0.3 wt% Er 2O 3 co-doped BGN glass. The energy transfer processes between Tm 3+ and Er 3+ in BGN glasses are analyzed in detail. The temperature dependence of the broadband emission spectra in Er 3+–Tm 3+ co-doped BGN glass is also studied. The present work indicates that Er 3+–Tm 3+ co-doped BGN glasses can be promising materials for broadband light sources and broadband amplifiers for WDM transmission systems.