The 1.53 μm spectroscopic properties of Er3+/Ce3+/Yb3+ tri-doped tellurite glasses containing silver nanoparticles

The metallic silver nanoparticles (NPs) was introduced into the Er3+/Ce3+/Yb3+ tri-doped tellurite glasses with composition TeO2-ZnO-La2O3 to improve the 1.53 mu m band fluorescence. The UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectra, 1.53 mu m band fluorescence spectra, fluorescence lifetimes, X-ray diffraction (XRD) curves, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of tri-doped tellurite glasses were measured, together with the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, emission cross-sections, absorption cross-sections and radiative quantum efficiencies were calculated to investigate the effects of silver NPs on the 1.53 mu m band spectroscopic properties of Er3+ ions, structural nature and thermal stability of glass hosts. It is shown that Er3+/Ce3+/Yb3+ tri-doped tellurite glasses can emit intense 1.53 mu m band fluorescence through the combined energy transfer (ET) processes from Yb3+ to Er3+ ions and Er3+ to Ce3+ ions under the 980 nm excitation. At the same time, the introduction of an appropriate amount of silver NPs can further improve the 1.53 mu m band fluorescence owing to the enhanced local electric field effect induced by localized surface Plasmon resonance (LSPR) of silver NPs and the possible energy transfer from silver NPs to Er3+ ions, and an improvement by about 120% of fluorescence intensity is found in the studied Er3+/Ce3+/Yb3+ tri-doped tellurite glass containing 0.5 mol% amount of silver NPs with average diameter of similar to 15 nm. The energy transfer mechanisms from Yb3+ to Er3+ ions and Er3+ to Ce3+ ions were also quantitatively investigated by calculating energy transfer microparameters and phonon contribution ratios. Furthermore, the thermal stability of glass host increases slightly with the introduction of silver NPs while the glass structure maintains the amorphous nature. The results indicate that the prepared Er3+/Ce3+/Yb3+ tri-doped tellurite glass with an appropriate amount of silver NPs is an excellent gain medium applied for 1.53 mu m band EDFA pumped with a 980 nm laser diode (LD). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.