Positive influence of Tm3+ on effective Er3+: 3 μm emission in fluoride glass under 980 nm excitation

Er3+ and Tm3+ singly doped and codoped new fluoride glasses were prepared by traditional melt-quenching method. Efficient 3 μm emission was obtained under 980 nm laser excitation. It is worthy to notice that one of the two ions can be the sensitizer to the other one by depressing the Er3+: 1.5 μm emission through the energy transfer process from Er3+:4I13/2 level to Tm3+:3F4 level. On the basis of measured absorption spectra, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters and radiation emission probability were calculated to evaluate the spectroscopic properties. Additionally, the micro-parameters together with the phonon assistance of Er3+:4I13/2 → Tm3+:3F4 and Er3+:4I11/2 → Tm3+:3H5 processes were quantitatively analyzed by using Dexter model. The theoretical micro-parameters results meet well with the experiments which indicates that Er3+/Tm3+ codoped fluoride glass is a potential kind laser glass for 3 μm laser.