Effect of hydroxyl groups on Er3+ doped Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 glasses

A series of Er3+-doped Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2-Na2O glasses with different hydroxyl groups were prepared and the interaction between the Er3+ ions and OH groups was investigated. Infrared spectra were measured in order to calculate the exact content of OH groups in samples. The observed increase of the fluorescence lifetime with the oxygen bubbling time has been related to the reduction in the OH content concentration evidenced by infrared (IR) absorption spectra, which confirmed that the OH groups were dominant quenching centers of excited Er3+ and a cause of concentration quenching of 1.5 μm band emission. Various nonradiative decay rates from 4I13/2 of Er3+ with the change of OH content were determined from the fluorescence lifetimes and radiative decay rates, which were calculated on the basis of Judd-Ofelt theory.