Visible and near infrared luminescence properties of Er3+-doped LBTAF glasses for optical amplifiers

Abstract Trivalent erbium doped lead borate titanate aluminum fluoride (LBTAFEr) glasses of molar composition (50- x )PbO·30H 3 BO 3 ·10TiO 2 ·10AlF 3 · x Er 2 O 3 were prepared and characterized applying the Judd–Ofelt theory. The visible and near infrared luminescence spectra obtained by exciting the samples at 486 nm (xenon source) and 514.5 nm (Ar + laser) radiations exhibit ( 2 H 11/2 , 4 S 3/2 ) →  4 I 15/2 (547 nm) and 4 I 13/2  →  4 I 15/2 (1.53 μm) transitions, respectively. Thermalization of the two emitting 2 H 11/2 and 4 S 3/2 states is taken into account in calculating the significant radiative properties. The intensity parameters are used to calculate the transition probabilities, luminescence branching ratios, radiative decay times and emission cross-sections for the observed emission bands. The McCumber theory has been applied to evaluate the emission cross-section using the absorption cross-section of the 4 I 13/2  →  4 I 15/2 transition of Er 3+ ion. The decay profiles of the ( 2 H 11/2 , 4 S 3/2 ) emission state were recorded and analyzed.