The aim of this research is to combine the mechanical and optical properties of the glass with a crystal-like environment for the rare-earth ions, where their higher cross-sections can be exploited in order to fabricate more compact devices. Oxyfluoride glass ceramics, where the nucleated crystalline phase is fluoride, provide a low phonon energy host. This is important for the emitting levels of the rare earth ions that suffer a competitive non-radiative relaxation, such as Tm3+, which is of high interest for Wavelength Division Multiplexing because its emission is complementary to the emission of Er3+ at 1.55 µm. Erbium and thulium-activated ultra-transparent glass-ceramics were fabricated by heat treatment of the precursor oxy-fluoride glasses and 32SiO2 9AlO1.5 31.5CdF2 18.5PbF2 5.5ZnF2 3.5REF3 mol % where RE = Er or Tm. The size of the ?-PbF2 nano-crystals increases with time and temperature of heat treatment, ranging from 0.5 to 18 nm. From the absorption measurement we extracted the cross-sections of Tm3+ ions embedded in the crystalline and glassy phases. Judd-Ofelt analysis was carried out on precursor glass and crystal. Comparing calculated and experimental lifetimes, before and after the heat treatment procedure, we found that the ceramming increases the quantum efficiency of the Tm3+ electronic transitions. In the case of Er3+-activated glass ceramics, the 4I13/2 ? 4I15/2 telecom transition broadens and flattens. Authors acknowledge the financial support of MIUR-FIRB "Miniaturized systems for electronics and photonics", PAT 2004-2006 FAPVU "Fabrication of ultratransparent glass ceramics-based planar optical amplifiers", MIUR-COFIN 2002 "Preparation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials by assembling of nanostructured molecular units", and MIUR-COFIN 2002 "Nanostructured materials for integrated optics".
Er3+ and Tm3+-containing ultra-transparent oxy-fluoride based glass ceramics for Wavelength Division Multiplexing optical amplifiers
M Ferrari;A Chiasera;G Nunzi Conti;
2004
Abstract
The aim of this research is to combine the mechanical and optical properties of the glass with a crystal-like environment for the rare-earth ions, where their higher cross-sections can be exploited in order to fabricate more compact devices. Oxyfluoride glass ceramics, where the nucleated crystalline phase is fluoride, provide a low phonon energy host. This is important for the emitting levels of the rare earth ions that suffer a competitive non-radiative relaxation, such as Tm3+, which is of high interest for Wavelength Division Multiplexing because its emission is complementary to the emission of Er3+ at 1.55 µm. Erbium and thulium-activated ultra-transparent glass-ceramics were fabricated by heat treatment of the precursor oxy-fluoride glasses and 32SiO2 9AlO1.5 31.5CdF2 18.5PbF2 5.5ZnF2 3.5REF3 mol % where RE = Er or Tm. The size of the ?-PbF2 nano-crystals increases with time and temperature of heat treatment, ranging from 0.5 to 18 nm. From the absorption measurement we extracted the cross-sections of Tm3+ ions embedded in the crystalline and glassy phases. Judd-Ofelt analysis was carried out on precursor glass and crystal. Comparing calculated and experimental lifetimes, before and after the heat treatment procedure, we found that the ceramming increases the quantum efficiency of the Tm3+ electronic transitions. In the case of Er3+-activated glass ceramics, the 4I13/2 ? 4I15/2 telecom transition broadens and flattens. Authors acknowledge the financial support of MIUR-FIRB "Miniaturized systems for electronics and photonics", PAT 2004-2006 FAPVU "Fabrication of ultratransparent glass ceramics-based planar optical amplifiers", MIUR-COFIN 2002 "Preparation of hybrid organic-inorganic materials by assembling of nanostructured molecular units", and MIUR-COFIN 2002 "Nanostructured materials for integrated optics".I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
