Tunable mid-infrared luminescence from Er3+ -doped germanate glass

Er(3+) -doped germanate glasses with superior thermal stability were prepared. Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters and important spectroscopic properties were discussed in detail. Upon 800 nm and 980 nm LD pumping, 2.7 µm fluorescence characteristics were investigated and it was found that the effective 2.7 µm emission bandwidth can reach to 101.79 nm in prepared glasses. The tunability of the 2.7 µm emission band can be realized by adjusting the Er(3+) content. Moreover, a high-emission cross-section (11.09 × 10(-21) cm(2) ), large gain bandwidth (772.30 × 10(-28) cm(3) ) and gain coefficient (6.72 cm(-1) ) were obtained in the prepared sample. Hence, Er(3+) -doped germanate glass might be a promising mid-infrared material for tunable amplifiers or lasers.