Optical transitions of Er3+ and Yb3+ ions in novel oxyfluoride bismuth–germanium glass: Observation of up-conversion

Abstract Er3+/Yb3+-codoped novel oxyfluoride bismuth–germanium glass was prepared and its up-conversion fluorescence property under 975 nm excitation has been studied. Intense green and weak red emissions centered at 525, 546, and 657 nm, corresponding to the transitions 2H11/2 → 4I15/2, 4S3/2 → 4I15/2, and 4F9/2 → 4I15/2, respectively, were observed at room temperature. The possible up-conversion mechanism was also evaluated. The optimal Yb3+–Er3+ concentration ratio is found based on the direct lifetime measurements of excited levels for Er3+ ion. The structure of this novel oxyfluoride bismuth–germanium glass has been investigated by peak-deconvolution of FT-Raman spectrum, and the structural information was obtained from the peak wavenumbers. This novel oxyfluoride bismuth–germanium glass with relatively lower maximum phonon energy (∼731 cm−1) can be used as potential host material for up-conversion lasers.