Energy transfer and enhanced 1.53 μm band signal gain in Er3+/Ce3+ codoped tellurite glass fiber

A detailed study of the energy transfer between Er3+ and Ce3+ ions and its enhanced effects on the 1.53 mu m band signal gain in Er3+/Ce3+ codoped tellurite glass fiber under the excitation of 980 nm is reported. The absorption spectra, visible upconversion spectra, infrared fluorescence spectra of Er3+ doped and Er3+/Ce3+ codoped glass samples were measured, and the 1.53 mu m band signal gain of Er3+ doped and Er3+/Ce3+ codoped glass fiber was calculated based on the rate and power propagation equations. Codoping Ce3+ with Er3+ ions can significantly suppress the visible upconversion emission and meanwhile improves the 1.53 mu m band fluorescence, and an increment of about 6.4 dB signal gain at 1532 nm was found in a 40 cm glass fiber with 150 mW pumping power at 980 nm, which is ascribed to the energy transfer between Er3+ and Ce3+ ions. The quantitative analysis showed that the energy transfer between Er3+ and Ce3+ ions is a one phonon and two phonon-assisted energy transfer process. The results indicated that Er3+/Ce3+ codoping is a suitable scheme for low phonon energy tellurite glass fiber applied for broadband and high gain EDFA. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.