Spectroscopic properties of Er3+-doped phosphate based glasses for broadband 1.54 μm emission

Abstract

Er3+-doped phosphate based glasses were prepared by the conventional melt-quenching technique with the chemical composition of 44 P2O5 – 17 K2O – 9 Al2O3 – (30-x) CaF2 – x Er2O3, (where x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0and 3.0 mol %) and their spectral properties have been investigated from absorption, emission and decay measurements. The phenomenological Judd – Ofelt intensity parameters Ωλ(λ = 2, 4, 6) were determined from the intensities of absorption bands in order to calculate the radiative transition probability (AR), radiative lifetime (τR), branching ratios (βR) of various excited states. The McCumber's theory has been adopted to predict, the emission cross-section (σeM) of 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition from the absorption cross-section (σa) of the 4I15/2 ? 4I13/2 transition of Er3+ ions. From near infrared emission spectra, full width at half maxima (FWHM), stimulated emission cross-section (σe) and gain bandwidth (ΔG) for the 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 emission transition at 1.536 μm were evaluated and discussed their utility for optical communication networks.