Improvement of ultra-broadband near-infrared emission at around 1.0 µm in Nd3+-Er3+-Pr3+ tri-doped tellurite glasses

Abstract Nd3+-Er3+-Pr3+ tri-doped tellurite glasses with lower phonon energy (768 cm−1) were prepared by conventional melt-quenching method. Under the excitation of 488nm, an ultra-broadband emission from 760 to 1150 nm with full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of about 262 nm was observed in the prepared Nd3+-Er3+-Pr3+ tri-doped glass sample, larger than that of the recently reported glasses. The DSC curve shows that the prepared tellurite glass has high glass transition temperature (Tg=382°C) and good thermal stability (ΔT=203°C). The gain coefficient, maximum absorption and emission cross section of Nd3+-Er3+-Pr3+ tri-doped tellurite glass for Nd3+:4F3/2→4I9/2 and Er3+:4I11/2→4I15/2 transitions are calculated as 0.41 cm−1, 0.80 × 10−20 cm2, 1.07 × 10−20 cm2, 0.35 cm−1, 0.37 × 10−20 cm2 and 0.45 × 10−20 cm2, respectively. Compared with the recently reported glasses, these values were effectively improved. This means that the prepared tellurite glass has better fluorescence emission and laser gain performance.