Zhicong Meng

Large improvement in quantum fluorescence yield of Er3+-doped fluorozirconate and fluoroindate glasses by Ce3+ codoping

The fluorescence characteristics of different Ce3+:Er3+-codoped fluoride host glasses, such as fluorozirconate and fluoroindate glass, are reported. It is shown that Ce3+ codoping into Er3+ doped fluoride glasses resulted in a quenching of Er3+ ions from the 4I11/2 to the 4I13/2 state, and the branching ratio for the Er3+ 4I11/2→4I13/2 transition increased from 0.20 to over 0.80 by codoping 2.0 mol % Ce3+. Further, the fluorescence quantum yield at 1.55 μm was also significantly improved. A Ce3+:Er3+-codoped fluorozirconate fiber laser operating at 1.55 μm band with 980 nm excitation has been realized for the first time, which clearly indicates the effectiveness of Ce3+ codoping.

Improvement of Fluorescence Characteristics of Er3+-Doped Fluoride Glass by Ce3+ Codoping

The fluorescence characteristics of Ce3+:Er3+ codoped fluoride glass are reported. It is observed that the decay rate of the 4I11/2 state of Er3+ increased by increasing the Ce3+ concentration. Further, the branching ratio for the transition from the 4I11/2 state to the 4I13/2 state of Er3+ increased from 0.20 to 0.95 by codoping 6.0 mol% Ce3+ into Er3+-doped ZBLAN-H fluoride glass. As a result, the 1.55 ?m fluorescence quantum yield has been significantly improved.

1.55-μm Ce,Er:ZBLAN fiber laser operation under 980-nm pumping: experiment and simulation

Fiber laser operating property at 1.55-/spl mu/m band in a newly developed Ce,Er:ZBLAN fiber by a continuous-wave laser diode pumping at 980 nm is presented. The output characteristics of the Ce,Er:ZBLAN fiber laser system are analyzed in detail based on the rate equations model by taking into account the energy transfer between Ce/sup 3+/ and Er/sup 3+/ ions, as well as the upconversion mechanisms. The promotion role of the Ce in the erbium-doped ZBLAN for the 1.55-/spl mu/m band fiber laser operation has been realized.

Novel Er and Ce codoped fluoride fiber amplifier for low-noise and high-efficient operation with 980-nm pumping

We demonstrate the low-noise and high-gain operation of a fluoride Er/sup 3+/ and Ce/sup 3+/ codoped fiber (F-ECDF) amplifier with 980-nm pumping. A 980-nm-pumped F-ECDF with a length of only 45 cm exhibits a noise figure of <4.5 dB in the entire C-band and a small signal gain of >20 dB with a gain ripple of <1 dB without any gain-flattening filter in the 1525-1560-nm range. Excitation spectra for the gain and noise figure of an F-ECDF exhibit flat shapes in the 974-982-nm range. We also demonstrate that the gain coefficient reaches 1.4 dB/mW and the power conversion efficiency is 27.4% at 1532 nm for a 2.25-m-long F-ECDF.

Rate equation analysis of fluorescence characteristics of Er; Yb; Ce codoped ZBLAN glass

To improve 1.55 /spl mu/m band fluorescence, Ce and Yb were doped into Er doped ZBLAN glasses, the fluorescence characteristics and energy transfer dynamics of Ce:Er:Yb:ZBLAN glasses were investigated.

Energy transfer mechanism and lasing performance in rare-earth-codoped ZBLAN

Energy transfer dynamics in fluorozirconate glass doubly-doped with Yb3+:Er3+ and Ce3+:Er3+ have been analyzed by using rate equation formalism. For the Yb3+:Er3+-ZBLAN glass, the macroscopic energy transfer parameters, cross-relaxation coefficients, were derived to be 1.1*10-17s-1cm3 and 2.0*10-17s-1cm3 for the forward energy transfer (Yb3+ → Er3+) and the backward transfer (Er3+ → Yb3+), respectively. After experimentally investigating fluorescence characteristics of Er3+ ions in the Ce3+:Er3+-ZBLAN glass, taking into account of up-conversion and energy transfer effect, a resonant cascade energy transfer model was developed, with which the operating mechanism of the Ce3+:Er3+-ZBLAN fiber laser was explained theoretically. The potentiality of the rare-earth-codoped fluoride glass as one of the most promising laser materials is demonstrated.

Fluorescence characteristics of Ce/sup 3+/, Yb/sup 3+/, Er/sup 3+/ doped fluorideglass for 1.55 /spl mu/m band

The fluorescence characteristics of Er/sup 3+/ codoped with Ce/sup 3+/ or Yb/sup 3+/ in ZBLAN glass were studied. It was found that the 1.55 /spl mu/m band fluorescence characteristics can be effectively improved by Ce/sup 3+/-codoping, and dynamics of the transfer and back transfer among Yb/sup 3+/ and Er/sup 3+/ ions in fluoride glasses can be well described by the energy transfer model.

Performance of tunable Ce/sup 3+/:Er/sup 3+/:ZBLAN fiber laser around 1.55 /spl mu/m

Fiber laser operation at 1.55 /spl mu/m band was first time realized in a Ce/sup 3+/:Er/sup 3+/:ZBLAN multimode fiber by cw LD pumping at 980 nm. The performance of wavelength tunable fluoride fiber laser around 1.55 /spl mu/m has been achieved.

Improved fluorescence characteristics of rare earth co-doping heavy-metal fluoride glasses for optical fiber amplifier

Er-doped heavy-metal fluoride glass, because of its wider emission bandwidth around 1500 nm, which spans the most important communications window, now has been investigated as one of the most promising materials for wide-band optical fiber amplifier, which would be of great value in the future wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) optical fiber communication system. However, one drawback of Er-doped fluoride glass is its low branching ratio leading to 1.55 /spl mu/m amplification under 980 nm excitation which is adopted for a low noise amplifier. Now this problem is expected to be solved by the rare earth co-doping technique. It has been proved that Ce co-doping into Er-doped fluoride glasses significantly improved the fluorescence quantum yield for the 1.55 /spl mu/m transition with 980 nm excitation. The Ce,Er co-doped fluoride glass is expected to be a new candidate material of a fiber amplifier for WDM.