Energy transfer and energy level decay processes of Er³⁺ in water-free tellurite glass

This report details the fundamental spectroscopic properties of a new class of water-free tellurite glasses studied for future applications in mid-infrared light generation. The fundamental excited state decay processes relating to the ⁴I_11/2 → ⁴I_13/2 transition in singly Er³⁺-doped Tellurium Zinc Lanthanum glass have been investigated using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The excited state dynamics was analyzed for Er₂O₃ concentrations between 0.5 mol% and 4 mol%. Selective laser excitation of the ⁴I_11/2 energy level at 972 nm and selective laser excitation of the ⁴I_13/2 energy level at 1485 nm has established that in a similar way to other Er³⁺-doped glasses, a strong energy-transfer upconversion by way of a dipole-dipole interaction between two excited erbium ions in the ⁴I_13/2 level populates the ⁴I_11/2 upper laser level of the 3 μm transition. The ⁴I_13/2 and ⁴I_11/2 energy levels emitted luminescence with peaks located at 1532 nm and 2734 nm respectively with luminescence efficiencies of 100% and 8% for the higher (4 mol.%) concentration sample. Results from numerical simulations showed that a population inversion is reached at a threshold pumping intensity of ∼57 kW cm^-2 for a CW laser pump at 976 nm for [Er₂O₃] = 2 mol.%.