Optical gain in polymer composite materials with P₂O₂: Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ codoped nanoparticles

We present the results of detailed numerical modeling and optimization of optical amplification in polymer nanocomposite materials, comprising highly doped phosphate nanoparticles in a polymer host. A key feature of the model is that the effects of scattering at both pump and signal wavelengths were included in the calculations. As an example, we show that optical gain is feasible at 1.55 μm in a poly-methyl-methacrylate host containing 10% by volume of Er/Yb-doped phosphate nanoparticles 100 nm in diameter when pumped at 980 nm with intensity 1 mW/μm², i.e. parameters which are representative of what may be achieved in practice in optical waveguides.