(2003) An investigation of novel materials for active optical devices. University of Southampton, Department of Electronics and Computer Science, Doctoral Thesis, 153pp.
Abstract
The potential of a number of doped materials as amplifiers for optical communication has been assessed. This work focuses on transparent glass-ceramics as novel hybrid materials of glasses and crystals.
Glass-ceramics comprising of LaF3 crystals in an aluminosilicate glass matrix, doped with Er3+, Pr3+ and Tm3+ have been prepared and characterized. Spectroscopy of these glass-ceramics is focused on the distribution of the dopant ions between the crystals and the residual glass. A novel method to calculate the ion distribution, based on fluorescence lifetime measurements, is developed and applied to both Er3+ and Pr3+ doped glass-ceramics. In the case of Er3+, less than 5% of the ions segregate into the crystals. In contrast to that, up to 50% of the Pr3+ ions are found in the crystals. It is shown that virtually complete segregation of the Pr3+ ions into the crystals is necessary for efficient amplifier operation.
Glasses in the yttria-alumina-silica system are prepared and characterized with a view both as a host material for rare earth and transition metal ions, and as a precursor glass for transparent glass-ceramics with YAG nanocrystals. Subsolidus crystallisation studies identify a glass composition promising for YAG glass-ceramics, but also highlight the problem of surface crystallisation.
Thulium doped YAS glass is identified as a potential gain medium for a S-band amplifier, because the fluorescence band at 1.47µm has a width of 125nm with an estimated quantum efficiency of 20%. Spectroscopy on Er3+-doped YAS glass shows that the glass can accommodate 26000ppm Er3+ without clustering.
The prospect of a Cr4+:YAG glass-ceramic fibre amplifier is discussed.
Full text not available from this repository.
More information
Identifiers
Catalogue record
Export record
Contributors
University divisions
- Faculties (pre 2011 reorg) > Faculty of Engineering Science & Maths (pre 2011 reorg) > Optoelectronics Research Centre (pre 2011 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics > Optoelectronics Research Centre (pre 2011 reorg)
Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics > Optoelectronics Research Centre (pre 2011 reorg) - Faculties (pre 2011 reorg) > Faculty of Engineering Science & Maths (pre 2011 reorg) > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2011 reorg)
Current Faculties > Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > School of Electronics and Computer Science > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2011 reorg)
School of Electronics and Computer Science > Electronics & Computer Science (pre 2011 reorg)
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.