Fluorescence dynamics and energy migration in Er3+-doped SRSO structure

Decay time properties of erbium ions in silicon rich silicon oxide multilayers are reported. A non-exponential time behaviour for the 4I13/2 decay profile is observed and is interpreted in a diffusion-limited model. Furthermore, an appreciable increase of the lifetime of the 4I13/2 is observed when the sample temperature is lower than 50 K. The lifetime dependence of the 4I13/2 as a function of temperature was successfully fitted with a model taking into account the temperature dependence of the energy migration between Er3+ ions in the presence of quenching impurities.