Enhancement of fluorescence emission and signal gain at 1.53 µm in Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped tellurite glass fiber

Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped tellurite glasses with composition of TeO2-GeO2-Li2O-Nb2O5 were prepared using conventional melt-quenching technique for potential applications in Er3+-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The absorption spectra, up-conversion spectra and 1.53 µm band fluorescence spectra of glass samples were measured. It is shown that the 1.53 µm band fluorescence emission intensity of Er3+-doped tellurite glass fiber is improved obviously with the introduction of an appropriate amount of Ce3+, which is attributed to the energy transfer (ET) from Er3+ to Ce3+. Meanwhile, the 1.53 µm band optical signal amplification is simulated based on the rate and power propagation equations, and an increment in signal gain of about 2.4 dB at 1 532 nm in the Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped tellurite glass fiber is found. The maximum signal gain reaches 29.3 dB on a 50 cm-long fiber pumped at 980 nm with power of 100 mW. The results indicate that the prepared Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped tellurite glass is a good gain medium applied for 1.53 µm broadband and high-gain EDFA. © 2015, Tianjin University of Technology and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.