Highly Efficient 2.84-mu m Emission in Ho3+/Yb3+ Co-Doped Tellurite-Germanate Glass for Mid-Infrared Laser Materials
Abstract
The use of Yb3+ co-doping with Ho3+ to enhance the Ho3+: I-5(6) -> I-5(7) similar to 2.84-mu m emissions is investigated in the tellurite-germanate glasses. An intense similar to 2.84-mu m emission with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 132 nm is achieved in the Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite-germanate glass upon excitation at 980 nm. The glass not only possesses considerably low OH-absorption coefficient (0.206 cm(-1)), but also exhibits 2.84-mu m large emission cross section (14.6 x 10(-21) cm(2)). Moreover, the measured lifetime of Ho3+: I-5(6) level is as high as 0.283 ms. Results reveal that Ho3+/Yb3+ co-doped Tellurite-germanate glass is an attractive host for developing a mid-infrared 3-mu m solid-state laser.