Erbium doped heavy metal oxide glasses for mid-infrared laser materials

Mid-infrared 2.7 mu m emission properties in Er3+-doped bismuthate and tellurite glasses were comparatively investigated. Emission characteristic and energy transfer upon excitation of a conventional 980 nm laser diode in bismuthate and tellurite glasses were analyzed. It is found that bismuthate glass possesses larger spontaneous transition probability A (65.26 s(-1)) and 2.7 mu m emission cross section sigma(em) (9.53 x 10(-21) cm(2)) corresponding to the Er3+: I-4(11/2) -> I-4(13/2) transition. Based on the analysis of Raman, IR spectra and XPS spectra in bismuthate and tellurite glasses, it is found that different phonon energies and local configurations of Er3+ ions are the main causes of different emission properties in Er3+-doped bismuthate and tellurite glasses. Our results suggest that the Er3+ doped bismuthate glass might be potential to the application in mid-infrared 2.7 mu m laser materials. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.