Silver sensitized erbium ion doped planar waveguide amplifier

• US 20030097858A1
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Albert Polman, Christof Strohhofer
• Original Assignee: Albert Polman, Christof Strohhofer
• Inventors: Strohhofer, Christof, Polman, Albert
• Application Number:
  US09/994,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 65/390
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 14/006 the non-glass component being in the form of microcrystallites, e.g. of optically or electrically active material
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 21/005 to introduce in the glass such metals or metallic ions as Ag, Cu
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 23/0055 by ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/6286 Ion implantation
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 4/12 for luminescent glass; for fluorescent glass

Abstract

A material for use in optical amplifiers is described. The material includes an oxide glass substrate material, a rare earth dopant and a silver dopant. The silver dopant enhances photoluminescence of the rare earth dopants in the oxide glass. The silver can be introduced into the glass using an ion exchange process or by ion implantation. Oxide glass doped with erbium ions and silver ions provides a broad excitation band for photoluminescence of Er³⁺ in the visible and near ultraviolet. An amplifier material according to the present invention can be formed by ion implanting a rare earth ion, for example erbium, and doping with silver by an ion exchange method. Alternatively, the silver can be implanted into the material as well. The resulting silver dopant may be dispersed throughout the oxide glass primarily as ions as a result of the fabrication method.

Claims

1. A method for making an optical amplifier material, said method including:

providing a glass material;

doping said glass material with a rare earth dopant, wherein said doping includes ion implantation of said rare earth dopant; and

doping said glass material with a silver dopant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein doping said glass material with said silver dopant includes ion implantation of said silver dopant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein doping said glass material with said rare earth dopant is performed before doping said glass material with said silver dopant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein doping said glass material with said silver dopant is performed before doping said glass material with said rare earth dopant.