Spectral components and their contributions to the 1.5 μm emission bandwidth of erbium-doped oxide glass

Abstract

In this article, the 1.5 μm emission spectra corresponding to the I13/24→I15/24 transition of Er3+ in oxide glass are studied within the temperature from 11 to 300 K. The spectral components emitting from the lowest and upper Stark levels of the I13/24 state are analyzed and separated. The effect of the spectral components on the 1.5 μm emission bandwidth is investigated. The results indicate that to search a host with higher spontaneous emission probability of the upper Stark levels of the I13/24 state for Er3+ ions is very important to broadening of the 1.5 μm emission band of Er3+. An equivalent model of the four-level system is presented and applied to explain the spectral shape and temperature characteristics of the 1.5 μm emission band. According to the theory of McCumber, we transform the absorption spectrum into the emission spectrum, the shape of which fits well to that measured.