Heavy metal oxide and chalcogenide glasses as new hosts for Er 3+ and Er 3+ /Pr 3+ mid-IR fiber lasers

Low phonon energy non-fluoride glasses are potentially useful hosts for a 2.7µm erbium doped fiber laser. A characterization of the optical properties of Er3+ doped and Er3+, Pr3+ codoped bulk samples of heavy metal oxide and chalcogenide glasses is presented. Absorption spectra have been measured and energy level lifetimes of the erbium ions have been determined by directly pumping the relevant level with an optical parametric oscillator. The glasses have good transmission in the IR out to 8µm. Praseodymium codoping is shown to strongly deactivate the lower laser level which is likely to improve the efficiency of the 2.7µm laser transition.