Spectroscopic properties of Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped tantalum-niobium phosphate glasses for optical waveguide laser and amplifier

Er/Yb co-doped tantalum-niobium phosphate glasses suitable for planar waveguide device applications at 1.53μ m operation were prepared and investigated, the host compositions of which were P₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, Nb₂Os₅, K₂O and Ga₂O₃. The measured absorption and emission spectra of these glasses were analyzed by Judd-Ofelt and McCumber theories, in order to obtain the effect of Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ ion concentrations on the spectroscopic properties. It turns out that the emission cross sections around 1.53 μm increase and then decrease with the increase of rare earth ion concentrations, the maximum value occur at the concentrations of 6wt%. The effective emission cross section bandwidth around 1.53 μm was about 60.0nm, which was wider than silica glasses and other phosphate glasses.