Broadband near-infrared emission property in Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped silica–germanate glass for fiber amplifier

•Er3+ doped and Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped silica–germanate glasses are fabricated.•The thermal stability and spectra properties are investigated.•The FWHM of Er3+/Ce3+-codoped silica–germanate glass reaches 108 nm.•The stimulated emission cross-sections are calculated and discussed.•The gain spectra of prepared samples are also investigated.

Er3+ doped and Er3+/Ce3+ co-doped silica–germanate glasses were synthesized by high-temperature melt-quenching technique. A detailed study of the 1.53 μm spectroscopic properties and thermal stability was presented in this work. The absorption spectra, 1.53 μm emission spectra and fluorescence lifetimes were measured and investigated, along with the quantitative calculations and analyses of Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters, stimulated absorption and emission cross-sections and the product of FWHM×σemp. It was found that the prepared samples have outstanding thermal stability (Tg = 585 °C), large FWHM (77 nm and 108 nm) and high stimulated emission cross-sections (9.55 × 10−28 cm3 and 8.72 × 10−28 cm3) of Er3+. The 1.53 μm fluorescence intensity improved significantly with the introduction of Ce3+. Furthermore, the wavelength dependent gain coefficient G(λ) of 4I13/2 → 4I15/2 transition of Er3+ was determined by means of the absorption and emission cross-sections. The results indicate that the developed glass co-doped with Er3+/Ce3+ is a promising gain medium applied for broadband amplifier pumped with a 980 nm laser diode.

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