Properties of Erbium Phosphate Glasses Suitable for Ion-ExchangedWaveguide Amplifier

Five kinds of erbium doped phosphate glass samples named WM1-WM5 with different contents of A12O3, Na2O, La2O3, Y2O3 and A1F3 were prepared, and their chemical durability, thermal, mechanical and spectroscopic properties were investigated. The chemical durability of these glasses was tested by immerging the samples in boiling water. The results obtained show that the glass with A12O3 content of 9.8wt% has the best chemical durability and has the highest Knoop hardness, higher glass transition temperature and lower thermal expansion coefficient. A12O3 greatly improves the chemical durability of phosphate glass. A1F3 deteriorates the chemical durability of the glasses a little. For improving thermal stability, Y2O3 is better than La2O3. The spectral properties of Er3+ in these glasses were evaluated by measuring their absorption and emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime. The glass with 9.8wt% A12O3 has the largest absorption cross section for both Yb3+ and Er3+ ions. Based on chemical durability, thermal, mechanical and spectral properties, WM1 glass , containing 9.8 wt% A12O3 and 6.9 wt% Na2O, is the best candidate for ion exchange processing.