Er3+/Yb3+/Ce3+ Co-Doped Fluoride Glass Ceramics Waveguides for Application in the 1.5µm Telecommunication Window

Abstract

Er3+-doped fluoride glass ceramics planar waveguides containing LaF3 or binary LaF3- ZrF4 nanocrystals have been fabricated by Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD). A quantitative analysis of the photoluminescence for the 1.5μm emission band of Er3+ ions has demonstrated that erbium ions are partitioned in both crystals and vitreous phase; the solubility of Er3+ in the segregated LaF3 nanocrystals can reach 30 mol% and the emission bandwidth has been found to be greater than that of the precursor glass (71nm at the half-height width). In order to increase the luminescence of Er3+, codoping with Yb3+ and Ce3+ has been investigated. The high Er3+ concentration and spectral width could make this nanostructured fluoride material suitable for planar amplifier in the C telecommunication band.