Optical properties of Tm-doped glasses for laser fibres

Experimental results on optical properties of Tm-doped oxide glass fibres based on different technologies and host materials are presented. Silica fibres and crystal-derived fibres (CDF) are compared. Crystal-derived fibres offer potentially higher doping levels than those made by Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition technology providing the ability to tune optical properties towards new applications. A detailed analysis of absorption and fluorescence properties of the 3F4 and 3H4 levels within a concentration range from 0.08 up to 1.52 mol% Tm2O3 is provided resulting in an extensive and specific energy level scheme for 789nm core-pumping.