1.6 μm emission from Pr3+: (3F3,3F4)→3H4 transition in Pr3+- and Pr3+/Er3+-doped selenide glasses

1.6 μm emission originated from ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{\mathrm{3+}}{\mathrm{: (}}^3{F}_3{,}^3{F}_4{\mathrm{)\to }}^3{H}_4$ transition in ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{\mathrm{3+}}$ - and ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{\mathrm{3+}}{\mathrm{/Er}}^{\mathrm{3+}}$ -doped selenide glasses were investigated under an optical pump of a conventional 1480 nm laser diode. The measured peak wavelength and full width at half maximum of the fluorescent emission were $\text{∼1650}$ and $\text{>100\hspace{0.05em}}\mathrm{nm},$ respectively. A moderate lifetime of the thermally coupled upper manifolds $\text{(∼212±5\hspace{0.05em}μ}\mathrm{s})$ together with a high stimulated emission cross section of ${\text{∼(3±1)×10}}^{\text{−20}} {\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{2}}$ promises to be useful for 1.6 μm band fiber-optic amplifier that can be pumped with an existing high-power laser diode. Codoping of ${\mathrm{Er}}^{\mathrm{3+}}$ significantly enhanced the emission intensity by way of a nonradiative ${\mathrm{Er}}^{\mathrm{3+}}{\mathrm{: }}^4{I}_{\text{13/2}}\to {\mathrm{Pr}}^{\mathrm{3+}}{\mathrm{: (}}^3{F}_3{,}^3{F}_4)$ energy transfer.