Novel Chemically Stable Er3+-Yb3+ Codopded PhosphateGlass for Ion-Exchanged Active Waveguide Devices

Abstract

A novel Er3+-Yb3+ codoped phosphate glass, which combinesgood chemical durability with good spectroscopic properties, isdeveloped for the ion-exchange process. The relevant properties of thisglass are presented for reference in the design and modelling ofion-exchanged active waveguide devices. The weight-loss rate of thisglass is 1.45×10−5 g⋅cm−2⋅h−1 in boiling water,which is comparable to that of Kigre's Q-246 silicate glass. Theemission cross section of Er3+ in this glass is calculated to be0.72×10−20 cm2 using the McCumber theory. It is foundthat a planar waveguide with three modes at 632.8 nm is readily realizedin this glass from our primary ion-exchange experiments.