Novel ER3+ doped tellurite glass-ceramics

Er³⁺ doped tellurite-based glasses were prepared using standard melting process and their physical, optical, thermal, optical and luminescence properties were measured and compared. We found that the addition of Na₂O in the TeO₂-ZnO system leads to higher emission at 1.5μm as compared to the addition of TeO₂, Bi₂O₃, BaO, Nb₂O₅. We found that Bi₂O₃ should be used in order to increase the intensity of the upconversion under 976 nm excitation. The glasses were heat treated in order to grow crystals in these glasses. Surface crystallization occurred upon heat treatment with the precipitation of multiple crystals, the composition of which depends on the glass composition. The heat treatment was found to have no impact on the intensity of the emission at 1.5 μm. However, it increases the intensity of the red upconversion, especially for Bi₂O₃ containing glass.