Improving emission performance and bandwidth broadening of the Er3+-doped tellurite – tungsten glasses at 1.5 μm via Pr3+ ions

Tellurite-tungsten glasses doped with Er3+-Pr3+ were fabricated by conventional melt-quenching, increasing the Pr2O3 content to enhance the emission performance and bandwidth of the 1.5 μm emission band. The spectroscopic properties in the visible and near-infrared regions are described, besides the Judd – Ofelt analysis of the Er3+. Results of the 1.5 μm emission intensity of the Er3+ under 980 nm, moreover the up-conversion emission, show an enhancement with the addition of Pr3+. Increments in the FWHM (≈ 90 nm) in the Er3+: 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 band are also reported, where the increment of Pr2O3 content plays an important role. The analyses of the dynamics between Er3+ and Pr3+ in these glasses comprehensively explain the Er3+ emission performance in the visible and near-infrared regions for optical communications applications.