Novel photonic glasses for fiber-optic amplifiers

Abstract

Development of novel glass hosts for the fiber-optic amplifiers was introduced with a special attention on the O-band amplifiers operating at 1.31 mum. Upon the addition of alkali halide (especially CsBr) into Ge-Ga-S glasses, the intensity of the 1.31 mum emission from Dy3+ (F-6(11/2.).H-6(9/2) --> H-6(15/2)) increased sharply at the expense of the 1.75 mum emission intensity (H-6(11/2) --> H-6(15/2)). The lifetimes of the 1.31 mum emission level also increased up to 1580 mus. The nearest neighbors of Eu3+ ions, or rare-earth ions in this glass, are composed of halogen ions that are part of well-structured complex such as tetrahedral [GaS3/2Br](-) subunit and/or Ga2Br6 Similar enhancement in the emission properties was also observed in Tm3+ and Ho3+-doped glasses with the addition of an appropriate amount of CsBr into sulfide glasses.