Down-conversion and up-conversion photoluminescence studies of Er3+ doped calcium zinc borosilicate glass for optical fiber amplifiers
A.V.S. Yeswanth, Ib Singh Deo, Anu, A.S. Rao, G. Vijaya Prakash
Abstract
A series of Er 3+ ion doped calcium zinc borosilicate (CZBS) glass with composition 15ZnO-(10-x)CaO-10SiO 2 -65B 2 O 3 -xEr 2 O 3 (x = 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 mol%) has been synthesized using conventional melt quenching technique. The non-crystalline nature of the as-synthesized glass is established through X-Ray diffraction (XRD). Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectral studies present a full picture of the functional groups present in the glass system. The absorption, up-conversion (UC) and down-conversion (DC) photoluminescence (PL) and corresponding PL decay dynamics, and laser power dependent PL are investigated to better understand the optical properties and energy transfer mechanism in the glass matrices. The radiative properties such as transition probability ( A R ), branching ratios ( β R ), radiative lifetimes ( τ R ) and near infrared (NIR) emission quantum efficiency ( η ) are estimated. The absorption, emission cross-sections and optical gain coefficients reveal the potential applications as laser amplifiers. The results favorably suggest the potential utility of these Er 3+ doped CZBS glasses in solid-state lighting and optical communication devices.