GeO2: Bi, M (M = Ga, B) glasses with super-wide infrared luminescence

Broadband infrared luminescence covering the optical telecommunication wavelength region of O, E and S bands was observed in GeO2: Bi, M (M = Ga, B) glasses prepared by conventional melting–quenching technique. The luminescence with a maximum at around 1320 nm possesses a full width at half maximum larger than 300 nm and mean fluorescent lifetime longer than 500 μs when excited by an 808 nm-laser. These glasses may have potential applications in widely tunable laser and super-broadband optical amplifier for the optical communications.