Emission properties of PbO-Bi2O3-Ga2O3-GeO2 glasses doped with Tm3+ and Ho3+

Abstract

Heavy metal oxide glasses containing GeO2 were investigated as potential hosts for 1.48 mum fiber-optic amplifiers because of their low phonon energy. Addition of greater than or equal to10 mol % GeO2 to 0.57PbO-0.25Bi(2)O(3)-0.18Ga(2)O(3) (mole fraction) glass provided thermal stability as well as good emission properties. The optimum glass composition for 1.48 mum amplifiers, considering lifetimes and population of the Tm3+:H-3(4) level, was 0.8 (0.57PbO-0.25Bi(2)O(3)-0.18Ga(2)O(3))-0.2GeO(2) (mole fraction). As the concentration of codoped Ho3+ exceeded 0.2 mol %, the population density of the Tm3+:H-3(4) level decreased sharply and the population inversion between the H-3(4) and F-3(4) levels in Tm3+ was achieved. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.