Luminescence quenching in erbium-doped phosphate glass films irradiated with hydrogen ions

We have studied the effect of irradiation with hydrogen and helium ions on the photoluminescence (PL) of phosphate films doped with ytterbium and erbium. The irradiation with hydrogen ions leads to more effective quenching of the PL from erbium ions and, for the ion doses Φ ≥5×1016cm−2, to a more significant decrease in the PL lifetime as compared to that in the films irradiated with helium ions. The results are interpreted within the framework of a model assuming the formation of OH groups in ion-irradiated glasses, which offer an effective channel of nonradiative recombination of the electron excitations in the material studied.