ACTIVE OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF ERBIUM-DOPED GEO2-BASED SOL-GEL PLANAR WAVE-GUIDES

Er3+ doped thin glass films were produced by the sol-gel technique. Th e best active properties were obtained for GeO2-SiO2 matrices codoped with P2O5 or Al2O3. We succeeded in limiting the influence of OH group s on the active properties by special heat treatments. Narrow fluoresc ence spectra (similar to 20 nm) and long lifetimes (similar to 6 ms) w ere found in P2O5 co-doped samples whereas Al2O3 co-doping gave wider spectra (similar to 50 nm) with slightly lower lifetimes (similar to 5 ms). The quenching concentration in the Al2O3 co-doped samples was 0. 9% Er3+. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.