Dependence of the stimulated emission cross section of Yb3+on host glass composition

The stimulated emission cross section for the²F5/2→²F7/2transition of Yb³⁺has been determined from absorption and emission measurements of 41 different oxide, fluoride, and oxyfluoride glasses at 293 K. The effective peak cross sections for transitions to Stark levels above the ground state range from approximately 0.3 to 0.8 pm². The largest values occur in borate and phosphate glasses; the smallest values occur in silicate and low-refractive-index fluoride glasses. Radiative lifetimes calculated from integrated absorption spectra are also reported and range from 0.6 to 2.7 ms. Systematic variations in cross sections with changes in modifier ions can be used to tailor stimulated emission cross sections and fluorescence lifetimes.