High quantum efficiency of near-infrared emission in bismuth doped AlGeP-silica fiber

A self-calibrating method is described for measuring the radiative quantum efficiency (QE) in doped optical fibers. The method uses an integrating sphere to collect the fluorescence from the fiber, with pump light transmitted through the fiber end serving as a reference. QE measurements for a 780 or 808 nm pump were made on bismuth-doped AlGeP-silica fibers prepared by aerosol deposition. For both wavelengths, a value of QE=1.0+/-0.05 was obtained. Fluorescence was observed in two bands centered around 800 and 1300 nm, and the relative strength of these bands was found to vary with the pump wavelength.