Sensitization of Ho3+ - doped fluoroindate glasses for near and mid-infrared emission

Abstract This work reports the sensitization of Ho3+ - doped fluoroindate glasses for near and mid-infrared emission. Special attention has been paid on the comparative analysis of the luminescent properties of the glasses co-doped with 0.8ErF3/1.6HoF3, 0.8YbF3/1.6HoF3, and 0.8TmF3/1.6HoF3. Moreover, the energy transfer processes between rare-earth (donor-acceptor) ions in fluoroindate glasses pumped by and 980 nm or 796 nm laser diode have been examined. The most effective sensitization for 2 μm emission has been obtained in glass co-doped with Tm3+/Ho3+. In the MID-infrared spectral range (2.85 μm) glass co-doped with Yb3+/Ho3+ is characterized by 2.6 times higher intensity than co-doped with Er3+/Ho3+. However, in Er3+/Ho3+ -co-doped glass broad emission at MID-IR region (FWHM = 200 nm) has been obtained.