A Simple Colloidal Route to Planar Micropatterned Er@ZnO Amplifiers

Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers; are important optical components for telecommunications. That films of nanoparticulate ZnO colloids are a potential route for the preparation of planar micropatterned Er3+ amplifier components is demonstrated by the synthesis of micropatterned films of Er@ZnO, i.e., Er;3+ entrapped in ZnO nanoparticles, with variable refractive index and high optical gain (see Figure).