Thermal stability and photoluminescence properties of RE-doped (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) alumina nanoparticles in bulk and fiber-optic silica glass

Abstract

We present the thermal stability and the photoluminescence properties of RE-doped (RE = Ho, Er, Tm) alumina nanoparticles in the phase system Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 with respect to the chemical composition and the thermal processing conditions applied in the fiber-optic technology. The alumina and silica soot reacted together to form mullite when the Al 2 O 3 concentration was higher than 5 mol. %. We have demonstrated that the solubility limits of RE ions in the mullite nanocrystals are strongly limited. The RE ions preferentially occupy highly disordered positions on the nanoparticle surface or in the amorphous Al 3+ -enriched shell around the nanoparticles, exhibiting maximal lifetime of approx. 1.2 ms, 10.0 ms and 0.6 ms in the Ho-, Er- and Tm-doped samples. Rapid cooling of the samples with stoichiometric composition 3Al 2 O 3 ·2SiO 2 managed to prepare highly defective mullite nanocrystals with embedded RE ions, exhibiting promising photoluminescence lifetimes of 5.6 ms and 2.4 ms in the case of Ho 3+ and Tm 3+ ions, respectively. In optical fibers with 5 mol. % Al 2 O 3 , the formation of amorphous Al 3+ -enriched nanoparticles was observed and the photoluminescence lifetime was in a good agreement with corresponding bulk samples. Exploitation of the RE-doped stoichiometric mullite in the fiber-optic technology may be a perspective way to improve the photoluminescence efficiency of active optical fibers for high-power applications. • Alumina nanoparticles and silica soot form mullite. • The solubility of Ho 3+ , Er 3+ and Tm 3+ ions in mullite is strongly limited. • Ho 3+ , Er 3+ and Tm 3+ ions embedded in mullite exhibit lifetime of 5.6, 6.2 and 2.4 ms, resp. • Ho 3+ , Er 3+ and Tm 3+ ions in Al-enriched amorphous matrix have lifetime of 1.3, 10.0 and 0.6 ms, resp.