Fluoroindate glasses co-doped with Pr3+/Er3+ for near-infrared luminescence applications

Fluoroindate glasses co-doped with Pr3+/Er3+ ions were synthesized and their near-infrared luminescence properties have been examined under selective excitation wavelengths. For the Pr3+/Er3+ co-doped glass samples several radiative and nonradiative relaxation channels and their mechanisms are proposed under direct excitation of Pr3+ and/or Er3+. The energy transfer processes between Pr3+ and Er3+ ions in fluoroindate glasses were identified. In particular, broadband near-infrared luminescence (FWHM = 278 nm) associated to the (1)G(4) -> H-3(5) (Pr3+, D-1(2) -> (1)G(4) (Pr3+) and I-4(13/2) -> I-4(15/2) (Er3+) transitions of rare earth ions in fluoroindate glass is successfully observed under direct excitation at 483 nm. Near-infrared luminescence spectra and their decays for glass samples co -doped with Pr3+/Er3+ are compared to the experimental results obtained for fluoroindate glasses singly doped with rare earth ions.