2.05 µm emission properties and energy transfer mechanism of germanate glass doped with Ho3+, Tm3+, and Er3+

A new GeO2−Ga2O3−Na2O−BaO-La2O3 germanate glass doped with Ho2O3, Tm2O3, and Er2O3 has been investigated for application as a laser material at the 2 μm region. The spectroscopic properties and energy transfer mechanisms of Ho3+ sensitized by Tm3+ and Er3+ are analyzed. Based on the measurement of absorption spectra, the Judd–Ofelt intensity parameters, radiation emission probability, branching ratio, and lifetime of Ho3+ are calculated to evaluate the spectroscopic properties. The maximum value of emission cross section of Ho3+ around 2.05 μm is 8.003×10−21 cm2, which indicates that the germanate glass may provide high gain as a good medium in high-power level laser system. It is also found that the 2.05 μm emission of Ho3+:5I7→5I8 can be greatly enhanced by adding the proper amount of Er2O3 and Tm2O3 under excitation at 808 nm. With the large energy transfer coefficient, the high efficient energy transfer process among Ho3+, Tm3+, and Er3+ ions is proven.