Broadband near-infrared emission in Er3+–Tm3+ co-doped bismuthate glasses

Abstract: In this work, we report near infrared emission spectra of Er3+–Tm3+ co-doped Bi2O3–GeO2–Na2O (BGN) glasses with the excitation of 800nm laser. A broad emission extending from 1300 to 1650nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ∼160nm is obtained in a 1.0wt% Tm2O3 and 0.3wt% Er2O3 co-doped BGN glass. The energy transfer processes between Tm3+ and Er3+ in BGN glasses are analyzed in detail. The temperature dependence of the broadband emission spectra in Er3+–Tm3+ co-doped BGN glass is also studied. The present work indicates that Er3+–Tm3+ co-doped BGN glasses can be promising materials for broadband light sources and broadband amplifiers for WDM transmission systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]