Improvement of Er 3+: 4I 11/2→Ce 3+: 2F 5/2 energy transfer rate in Er 3+/Ce 3+ co-doped TeO 2–ZnO–Na 2O–Nb 2O 5 glasses

Abstract

The B 2O 3 component was introduced into Er 3+/Ce 3+ co-doped TeO 2–ZnO–Na 2O–Nb 2O 5 glass to improve energy transfer rate of Er 3+: 4I 11/2→Ce 3+: 2F 5/2 phonon-assisted cross-relaxation process. With the 6 mol% substitution of B 2O 3 for TeO 2, the energy transfer rate increased from 1300 to 1831 s −1 and the fluorescence intensity increased by about 13.4%. However, the more B 2O 3 substitution in the same glass system reduced the quantum efficiency of Er 3+: 4I 13/2→ 4I 15/2 transition due to the higher OH − group concentration. The results show that an appropriate amount of B 2O 3 component can be used to improve the phonon-assisted energy transfer rate and enhance 1.53 μm fluorescence emission by increasing the phonon energy of host glass. The effect of B 2O 3 on the energy transfer process, the lifetimes of the 4I 11/2 and 4I 13/2 levels, and the upconversion emission have also been investigated.