Luminescence quantum efficiency at 1.5 μm of Er3+-doped tellurite glass determined by thermal lens spectroscopy

•We report the luminescence quantum efficiency at 1.5 μm of Er3+-doped tellurite glass.•The maximum observed value is 76% for low Er concentration.•A strong Er concentration dependence is observed on the luminescence quantum efficiency.

Erbium doped tellurite glasses (TeO2 + Li2O + TiO2) were prepared by conventional melt-quenching method to study the influence of the Er3+ concentration on the luminescence quantum efficiency (η) at 1.5 μm. Absorption and luminescence data were used to characterize the samples, and the η parameter was measured using the well-known thermal lens spectroscopy. For low Er3+ concentration, the measured values are around 76%, and the concentration behavior of η shows Er–Er and Er–OH− interactions, which agreed with the measured lifetime values.