Erbium doped heavy metal oxide glasses for mid-infrared laser materials

Abstract

Mid-infrared 2.7μm emission properties in Er3+-doped bismuthate and tellurite glasses were comparatively investigated. Emission characteristic and energy transfer upon excitation of a conventional 980nm laser diode in bismuthate and tellurite glasses were analyzed. It is found that bismuthate glass possesses larger spontaneous transition probability A (65.26s−1) and 2.7μm emission cross section σem (9.53×10−21cm2) corresponding to the Er3+: 4I11/2→4I13/2 transition. Based on the analysis of Raman, IR spectra and XPS spectra in bismuthate and tellurite glasses, it is found that different phonon energies and local configurations of Er3+ ions are the main causes of different emission properties in Er3+-doped bismuthate and tellurite glasses. Our results suggest that the Er3+ doped bismuthate glass might be potential to the application in mid-infrared 2.7μm laser materials.