Spectroscopic investigations on 1.53 μm NIR emission of Er3+ doped multicomponent borosilicate glasses for telecommunication and lasing applications

The multicomponent borosilicate (MBSER) glasses activated with different concentrations of Er3+ ions (varies from 0.1 to 2 mol%) were prepared via conventional melting and rapid quench technique and studied their thermal, structural and spectroscopic characteristics by using DSC, XRD, FTIR, optical absorption, excitation and emission measurements. Judd- Ofelt analysis in correlation with the absorption and emission spectral profiles was performed for the evaluation of several radiative parameters of the as-prepared glasses. Visible and NIR luminescence were recorded at 379 nm excitation and a special consideration is given to 1536 nm emission corresponding to the I-4(13/2) -> I-4(15/2) transition. McCumber theory (MC) is used to determine the stimulated emission cross-section from the calculated absorption cross-section and is found well matched with the emission cross-section obtained from Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg (FL) equation. Better radiative parameters (stimulated emission cross-section (sigma(emi)) = 15.78 x 10(-21) cm(2), effective bandwidth (Delta lambda(eff)) = 67 nm), laser (gain bandwidth (sigma(lambda(p)) x Delta lambda(eff )= 1.05 x 10(-25) cm(3)), optical gain (sigma(lambda(p)) x tau(R)) = 42.5 x 10(-25) cm(2) s)) and gain spectra characteristics suggests the MBSER glasses for optical amplifier and laser applications since they offer a broadened emission spectra in the NIR region.