A chemical strategy to improve the fluorescence environments of erbium-ions doped into organically modified hybrid glasses for laser amplifier applications

Bridged polysilsesquioxanes, a class of hybrid organic/inorganic siloxanes, are employed to manipulate the fluorescence environments of rare-earth metal ions. The performance of silsequioxanes containing rare-earth ions in optical devices significantly relies on host materials’ properties. We have developed organically modified fluoroalkylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes doped with Er3+/CdSe nano-particles. Solid state silicon NMR analysis of undoped xerogels indicate an enhanced condensation in fluorinated xerogel compared to that of alkylene-bridged silsesquioxanes. Fluoroalkylene-bridged xerogel containing Er3+-ions shows significantly reduced absorptions at the 1540 nm by reducing amounts of uncondensed hydroxyl groups. The presence of CdSe nano-particles influences the fluorescence environment of Er3+-ions in different glassy hosts, resulting in the increased fluorescence intensity.