Optical Amplification at 1525 nm in BaYF 5

We demonstrated optical amplification in BaYF5: 20% Yb3+, 2% Er3+ (BYF) nanocrystals doped polymer waveguide. BYF nanocrystals with an average size of ∼13 nm were synthesized by a high-boiling solvent process. Intense 1.53 μm fluorescence was obtained in the nanocrystals under excitation at 980 nm. An optical polymer waveguide was fabricated by using BYF nanocrystals doped SU-8 polymer as the core material. A relative optical gain of ∼10.4 dB at 1525 nm was achieved in a 1.1 cm long waveguide for an input signal power of ∼0.09 mW and a pump power of ∼212 mW

KMnF₃:Yb³⁺,Er³⁺ Core-Active-Shell Nanoparticles with Broadband Down-Shifting Luminescence at 1.5 μm for Polymer-Based Waveguide Amplifiers

In this study, we prepared cubic-phase oleic-acid-coated KMnF3: Yb3+,Er3+ nanoparticles (NPs) and NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ NPs, which were about 23 nm. From the down-shifting emissions spectra of the two NPs obtained by 980 nm excitation, we observed the fact that the KMnF3: 18%Yb3+,1%Er3+ NPs were a luminescent material with a broadband near-infrared emission of 1.5 μm, and full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 55 cm−1, which was wider than that of the NaYF4: 18%Yb3+,1% NPs. Therefore, we believe that the oleic-acid-coated KMnF3:Yb3+,Er3+ NPs have great potential in fabricating broadband waveguide amplifiers. Through epitaxial growth of a KMnF3: Yb3+ active-shell on the core NPs, we compounded KMnF3:Yb3+,Er3+@KMnF3:Yb3+ core-active-shell NPs whose 1.5-μm infrared emissions intensity was 3.4 times as strong as that of the core NPs. In addition, we manufactured waveguide amplifiers using KMnF3:18%Yb3+,1%Er3+@KMnF3:2%Yb3+ NPs as the core materials of the waveguide amplifiers. When the input signal power was 0.2 mW and the pump power was 200 mW, we achieved a relative gain of 0.6 dB at 1534 nm in a 10-mm long waveguide