Divalent Yb-Doped Silica Glass and Fiber with High Quantum Efficiency for White Light Source

The 4f¹³5d-4f¹⁴ energy transition of Yb²⁺ ions can cover the whole white light wavelength, Yb²⁺-doped materials have thus been a hot research field. In order to obtain a white light source, many kinds of Yb²⁺-doped materials have been prepared. In this study, divalent Yb²⁺-doped silica fiber was fabricated using rod-in-tube technology. The fiber core of Yb²⁺-doped silica glass was prepared with high-temperature melting technology under vacuum conditions. The spectroscopic properties of the Yb²⁺-doped glass and fiber were studied. The experiments indicate that divalent Yb²⁺-doped glass has a high quantum efficiency and super-broadband fluorescence in the visible region with an excitation wavelength of 405 nm. In addition, the results suggest that Yb²⁺-doped fiber has a potential for application in visible fiber lasers and fiber amplification.