Tellurite Glasses for Broadband Amplifiers and Integrated Optics

Abstract
The present investigation discusses the advantage of using RE‐ion‐doped (Nd3+, Tm3+, and Er3+) TeO2glasses for developing fiber and planar broadband amplifiers and lasers. The spectroscopy of RE‐ion‐doped fibers and glasses is discussed along with the thermal properties of glass hosts. The results of emission from the3H4level in single‐mode Tm3+‐doped tellurite fiber show that the emission band overlaps with Er3+emission from the4I13/2level and Nd3+emission from the4F3/2level in silicate and tellurite glasses, thereby enabling the development of amplifiers and lasers between 1350 and 1650 nm. Recent results using Z‐scan measurements of nonlinear refractive index and absorption demonstrate that the third‐order nonlinearity in undoped TeO2glasses is of the order of 2 × 10−15to 3 × 10−15cm2·W−1between 1300 and 1550 nm. These results are briefly discussed in view of an amplifier operation combined with ultrafast all‐optical switching.