ABSORPTION AND EMISSION CROSS-SECTIONS OF ER3-GUIDES( IN AL2O3 WAVE)

Al2O3 slab waveguide films were doped with erbium using ion implantati on to a peak concentration of 1.5 at. %. Prism coupling measurements s how absorption caused by I-4(15/2) --> I-4(13/2) intra-4f transitions in Er3+ with a maximum at 1.530 mu m of 8 dB/cm. The Er3+ absorption c ross section is determined as a function of wavelength. We used the Mc Cumber theory to derive the emission cross section spectrum from the a bsorption results, which we then compared with the Er3+ photoluminesce nce spectrum. The peak absorption and emission cross sections are foun d to be 6 x 10(-21) cm(-2). The results are used to predict the optica l gain performance of an Er-doped Al2O3 optical amplifier that operate s around 1.5 mu m. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.