Improvement of Er3+:4I11/2→Ce3+:2F5/2 energy transfer rate in Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped TeO2–ZnO–Na2O–Nb2O5 glasses

Abstract The B 2 O 3 component was introduced into Er 3+ /Ce 3+ co-doped TeO 2 –ZnO–Na 2 O–Nb 2 O 5 glass to improve energy transfer rate of Er 3+ : 4 I 11/2 →Ce 3+ : 2 F 5/2 phonon-assisted cross-relaxation process. With the 6 mol% substitution of B 2 O 3 for TeO 2 , the energy transfer rate increased from 1300 to 1831 s −1 and the fluorescence intensity increased by about 13.4%. However, the more B 2 O 3 substitution in the same glass system reduced the quantum efficiency of Er 3+ : 4 I 13/2 → 4 I 15/2 transition due to the higher OH − group concentration. The results show that an appropriate amount of B 2 O 3 component can be used to improve the phonon-assisted energy transfer rate and enhance 1.53 μm fluorescence emission by increasing the phonon energy of host glass. The effect of B 2 O 3 on the energy transfer process, the lifetimes of the 4 I 11/2 and 4 I 13/2 levels, and the upconversion emission have also been investigated.