An Investigation of the Photonic Application of TeO(2)-K(2)TeO(3)-Nb(2)O(5)-BaF(2) Glass Co-Doped with Er(2)O(3)/Ho(2)O(3) and Er(2)O(3)/Yb(2)O(3) at 1.54 μm Based on Its Thermal and Luminescence Properties.

A glass composition using TeO(2)-K(2)TeO(3)-Nb(2)O(5)-BaF(2) co-doped with Er(2)O(3)/Ho(2)O(3) and Er(2)O(3)/Yb(2)O(3) was successfully fabricated. Its thermal stability and physical parameters were studied, and luminescence spectroscopy of the fabricated glasses was conducted. The optical band gap, E(opt), decreased from 2.689 to 2.663 eV following the substitution of Ho(2)O(3) with Yb(2)O(3). The values of the refractive index, third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ((3))), and nonlinear refractive index (n(2)) of the fabricated glasses were estimated. Furthermore, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters Ωt (t=2,4,6), radiative properties such as transition probabilities (A(ed)), magnetic dipole-type transition probabilities (A(md)), branching ratios (β), and radiative lifetime (τ) of the fabricated glasses were evaluated. The emission cross-section and FWHM of the (4)I(13/2)→(4)I(15/2) transition around 1.54 μm of the glass were reported, and the emission intensity of the visible signal was studied under 980 nm laser excitation. The material might be a useful candidate for solid lasers and nonlinear amplifier devices, especially in the communications bands.