Excited State Absorption and Cross Sections for Er-Doped Glasses

Abstract

AbstractPump-excited-state-absorption (ESA) measurements on Er3+-doped phosphates, fluorophosphates, and silicate bulk glasses indicate that ESA cross sections are approximately equal to ground state absorption (GSA) cross sections in the 800-nm band. The oscillator strengths of the ESA and GSA bands are also approximately equal, in qualitative agreement with Judd-Ofelt calculations. Fluorozirconate samples were found to have substantial populations in the upper excited states for the measurement conditions used and ESA transitions originating from four excited states were identified. Fluorozirconate fiber amplifiers and lasers at 1.55 μm, therefore, would have decreased efficiency for 800-nm pumping.