Photoluminescence decay of 1.54 μm Er3+ emission inSi and III-V semiconductors

The luminescence lifetime of the 1.54 μm Er³⁺ emission has been studied in a variety of Si and III-V semiconductor host materials. The ≈1 millisecond lifetimes observed in all hosts indicate that the Er emission is largely radiative, and suggests that Er may be the rare earth dopant best suited for device applications. Additional competing nonradiative effects are seen to appear for certain growth conditions     

Avalanche phenomena in 4H-SiC p-n diodes fabricated by aluminum orboron implantation

Characteristics of p-n junction fabricated by aluminum-ion (Al⁺) or boron-ion (B⁺) implantation and high-dose Al⁺-implantation into 4H-SiC (0001) have been investigated. By the combination of high-dose (4×10¹⁵ cm^-2) Al⁺ implantation at 500°C and subsequent annealing at 1700°C, a minimum sheet resistance of 3.6 kΩ/□ (p-type) has been obtained. Three types of diodes with planar structure were fabricated by employing Al+ or B+ implantation. B ⁺-implanted diodes have shown higher breakdown voltages than Al⁺-implanted diodes. A SiC p-n diode fabricated by deep B+ implantation has exhibited a high breakdown voltage of 2900 V with a low on-resistance of 8.0 mΩcm² at room temperature. The diodes fabricated in this study showed positive temperature coefficients of breakdown voltage, meaning avalanche breakdown. The avalanche breakdown is discussed with observation of luminescence     

Optical thermometry through infrared excited upconversionfluorescence emission in Er3+- and Er3+-Yb3+-doped chalcogenide glasses

Optical thermometry based upon infrared excited upconversion fluorescence emission in Er³⁺- and Er³⁺-Yb³⁺ - doped Ga₂S₃-La₂O₃ chalcogenide glasses excited at 1.54 and 1.06 μm, respectively, is presented. Temperature sensing in the region of 20°C-220°C with 0.3°C accuracy using excitation powers readily obtainable from commercially available semiconductor lasers was achieved. The temperature sensing approach is independent of fluctuations in excitation intensity and transmission and requires a simple and low-cost signal detection and processing system. The results also indicate that the glassy host material plays a major role in the performance of the sensing system     

Population dynamics in Yb:Er:phosphate glass under neodymium laserpumping

Characteristics of ytterbium to erbium energy transfer in Yb:Er:phosphate glasses have been studied for a case when Nd phosphate glass laser is used as a pumping source. A theoretical model of the energy transfer was developed to reproduce the experimentally observed population dynamics of the Er³⁺ upper and lower laser levels. The results show that saturation and frequency hole burning of the inhomogeneously broadened Yb³⁺ absorption line are of primary importance in determining the dynamics and efficiency of the Yb³⁺ -Er³⁺ energy transfer under Nd laser pumping. The influence of other loss channels that have been identified in previous studies is found to be relatively small. The model also yields the lifetime of the frequency hole, as well as the effective rates of energy transfer between groups of Yb³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions in phosphate glasses     

Laser action from Ho3+, Er3+, and Tm3+in YAlO3

Laser action has been observed for the following rare-earth ions in YAlO3:Ho³⁺(sensitized with Er³⁺and Tm³⁺), Er³⁺, and Tm³⁺(sensitized with Er³⁺) at wavelengths of 2.123, 0.851, and 1.861 μm, respectively. Measurements of spectroscopic properties, fluorescence kinetics, and laser performance of these ions in YAlO3are reported.     

Energy recycling versus lifetime quenching in erbium-doped 3-μmfiber lasers

Based on recently published spectroscopic measurements of the relevant energy-transfer parameters, we performed a detailed analysis of the population mechanisms and the characteristics of the output from Er ³⁺-singly-doped and Er³⁺, Pr³⁺-codoped ZBLAN fiber lasers operating at 3 μm, for various Er³⁺ concentrations and pump powers. Whereas both approaches resulted in similar laser performance at Er³⁺ concentrations <4 mol.% and pump powers <10 W absorbed, it is theoretically shown here that the Er³⁺-singly-doped system will be advantageous for higher Er³⁺ concentrations and pump powers. In this case, energy recycling by energy-transfer upconversion from the lower to the upper laser level can increase the slope efficiency to values greater than the Stokes efficiency, as is associated with a number of Er³⁺-doped crystal lasers. Output powers at 3 μm on the order of 10 W are predicted     

Spectroscopic Properties and Laser Performance of Er3+ and Yb3+ Co-Doped GdAl3(BO3)4 Crystal

An Er:Yb:GdAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystal was grown and room-temperature polarized absorption, emission, and gain spectra were investigated. Fluorescence decay curves of Er³⁺ at 1530 nm and Yb³⁺ at 1040 nm in the crystal were measured. Efficient laser operation of Er:Yb:GdAl₃(BO₃)₄ crystal at 1.5-1.6 mum was realized. Quasi-continuous-wave output powers of 1.8 W with slope efficiency of 19% and 0.78 W with slope efficiency of 14% were achieved in diode-pumped c-cut and c-cut and a-cut crystals, respectively. The output spectrum and polarization of Er:Yb:GdAl₃(BO₃)₄ laser were also investigated.     

Er3+-doped Al2O3 thin films byplasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) exhibiting a 55-nmoptical bandwidth

We report the first deposition of Er³⁺-doped aluminum oxide thin-film optical waveguides by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The aluminum and erbium precursors used for the deposition of the thin films were trimethyl-aluminum and Er tri-chelate of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5 dione respectively. The samples show broad, room-temperature photoluminescence at λ=1.533 μm. The Er³⁺ concentration ranged from 0.01-0.2 at%. The full width half maximum (FWHM) of the Er³⁺ emission spectrum is 55 nm, considerably broader than in silica glass. The radiative lifetime has been measured at 50-mW pump power     

Characterization of n-type β-SiC as a piezoresistor

SiC is currently being investigated for device applications involving high temperatures. The properties of n-type β-SiC relevant to piezoresistive devices, namely the gauge factor (GF) and temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR), are characterized for several doping levels. The maximum gauge factor observed was -31.8 for unintentionally doped (10¹⁶-10¹⁷/cm³) material. This gauge factor decreases with temperature to approximately half its room-temperature value at 450°C. Unintentionally doped SiC has a roughly constant TCR of 0.72%/°C over the range 25-800°C and exhibits full impurity ionization at room temperature. Degenerately doped gauges (N_d=10²⁰/cm³) exhibited a lower gauge factor (-12.7), with a more constant temperature behavior and a lower TCR (0.04%/°C). The mechanisms of the piezoresistive effect and TCR in n-SiC are discussed, as well as their application towards sensors     

Er3+ –Y3+-Codoped Al 2O3 for High-Temperature Sensing

Optical high-temperature sensing using the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique of green up-conversion emissions at 523 and 546 nm in Er³⁺-Y³⁺-codoped Al₂O₃ was studied in a wide temperature range of 295 K-973 K. The maximum sensitivity and the temperature resolution derived from the FIR technique are approximately 0.0035 K^-1 and 0.3 K, respectively, which indicated that Er³⁺-Y³⁺-codoped Al₂O₃ plays an important role for applications in the optical high-temperature sensing.     

Rapid thermal annealing effects on Si p+-n junctionsfabricated by low-energy FIB Ga+ implantation

Effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on sub-100 nm p⁺ -n Si junctions fabricated using 10 kV FIB Ga⁺ implantation at doses ranging from 10¹³ to 10¹⁵ cm ^-2 are reported. Annealing temperature and time were varied from 550 to 700°C and 30 to 120 s. It was observed that a maximum in the active carrier concentration is achieved at the critical annealing temperature of 600°C. Temperatures above and below the critical temperature were followed by a decrease in the active concentration, leading to a `reverse' annealing effect     

On the dynamics of population inversion for 3 μm Er3+lasers

A generalized model for 3-μm (⁴I_11/2 →⁴I_13/2)Er lasers is proposed. The essential energy transfer processes present in the single-doped Er ³⁺ systems (up-conversion from ⁴I_13/2, up-conversion from ⁴ I_11/2, cross-relaxation from ⁴S _3/2), as well as those present in Cr³⁺ codoped Er ³⁺ systems, are taken into account. In the frame of this model, the main features of 3 μm Er³⁺ lasers, such as long pulse or CW operation, the change of emission wavelength as a function of pumping conditions, and the effects of codoping with Ho³⁺ or Tm³⁺ ions, are explained     

Evaluation of absorption and emission cross sections of Er-dopedLiNbO3 for application to integrated optic amplifiers

The polarization-dependent absorption and emission spectra of the ⁴I_13/2-⁴I_15/2 transition (λ~1.5 μm) in single crystal bulk Er:LiNbO₃ have been measured. Low-temperature (10 K) measurements of the Stark split energy levels of these two manifolds indicate at least two Er³⁺ sites. McCumber theory is applied to determine the Er:LiNbO₃ absorption and emission cross sections. These values are used to calculate the gain characteristics of Er:LiNbO₃ channel waveguides. Calculations indicate that a gain of 10 dB is achievable in a waveguide of several centimeters using ~20-mW pump power     

Rapid isothermal annealing of high- and low-energy ion-implantedInP and In0.53Ga0.47As

Rapid isothermal annealing (RIA) was performed on 0.5-16-MeV Si ⁺, 1-MeV Be⁺, and 150-keV Ge⁺ implanted InP:Fe and 380-keV Fe⁺ implanted InGaAs. Annealings were performed in the temperature range 800-925°C using an InP proximity wafer in addition to the Si₃N₄ dielectric cap. Dopant activations close to 100% were obtained for 3×10¹⁴ cm^-2 Si⁺ and 2×10¹⁴ cm^-2 Be⁺ implants in InP:Fe. For the elevated temperature (200°C) 1×10¹⁴ cm^-2 Ge⁺ implant, a maximum of 50% activation was obtained. No redistribution of dopant was observed for Si and Ge implants due to annealing. However, redistribution of dopant was seen for Be and Fe implants due to annealing. Phosphorous coimplantation has helped to eliminate the Be in-diffusion problem in InP, but did not help to reduce Fe in-diffusion and redistribution in InGaAs. Using an RIA cycle with low temperature and short duration is the only solution to minimize Fe redistribution in InGaAs     

Investigation of up-conversion luminescence of Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ ions doped in PLZT for active electro-optical applications

The up-conversion luminescence of Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ ions doped in lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) under 980 nm excitation at room temperature has been investigated. The green upconversion luminescence at 540 and 566 nm was observed in Er3+:PLZT; the greater the concentration of Er3+ ions, the stronger the intensity. In Er3+-Yb3+:PLZT, other than the green up-conversion luminescence at 540 and 566 nm, a relatively weak red up-conversion luminescence at 668 nm was also observed. Both green and red up-conversion luminescence intensities presented an approximately quadratic dependence on excitation power, which indicated that two excitation photons are involved in the up-conversion process of Er3+:PLZT and Er3+-Yb3+:PLZT. The characteristics of PLZT ceramic material were also studied by Raman spectroscopy. This work shows a promising future for developing multifunctional up-conversion electrooptical devices using Er3+ and Er3+/Yb3+ ions doped PLZT.     

High performance single frequency fiber grating-basederbium/ytterbium-codoped fiber lasers

The device characteristics of Er³⁺,Yb³⁺ single frequency fiber lasers are reported. A 5-cm long 1550-nm distributed feedback fiber laser with 4 mW output power is shown to have excellent specifications in terms of optical linewidth, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), relative intensity noise, side-mode suppression and polarization purity. For higher power applications, a 1.5 cm single frequency Er³⁺,Yb³⁺ grating-based fiber laser with 60 mW output power and a net efficiency of 12% is demonstrated     

Improved gain performance in Yb3+-sensitized Er3+-doped alumina (Al2O3) channel opticalwaveguide amplifiers

Small-signal amplification in short, Yb³⁺-sensitized, Er³⁺-doped alumina (Al₂O₃) channel optical waveguides with high Er³⁺ concentrations is analyzed. Taking into account uniform up conversion, excited state absorption (ESA) from the Er³⁺ metastable level (⁴I_13/2 ), and Yb³⁺→Er³⁺ energy transfer by cross relaxation, the obtainable gain improvements compared to Yb³⁺ -free Er³⁺-doped Al₂O₃ optical waveguides are investigated. The amplifier model is based on propagation and population rate equations and is solved numerically by combining finite elements and the Runge-Kutta algorithm. The analysis predicts that 5-cm long Yb³⁺/Er³⁺ co-doped Al₂O ₃ waveguides show 13-dB net signal gain for 100 mW pump power at λ_p=980 nm     

The effect of pair-induced energy transfer on the performance ofsilica waveguide amplifiers with high Er3+/Yb3+concentrations

High-concentration Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ co-doped silica waveguide amplifiers are numerically analyzed. With optimized rare-earth concentrations the effect of Er³⁺/Er³⁺ ion-pairs can be neglected and each Er³⁺ ion can be assumed to be paired only to the surrounding Yb³⁺ ions. The rate-equations model includes uniform upconversion mechanisms from ⁴I_13/2 and ⁴I_11/2 erbium levels and an Yb³⁺ to Er³⁺ pair-induced energy transfer process. Numerical results demonstrate the possibility of fabricating short- and high-gain integrated optical amplifiers; it is shown that net gain as high as 3 dB/cm can be obtained     

Anomalous dispersion in Er3+ and Yb3+-dopedfibers

In experimental and theoretical study of anomalous dispersion in Er³⁺and Er³⁺-Yb³⁺-doped fibers has been developed. Anomalous time delay caused by both absorption and emission at 1.535 μm has been theoretically calculated and experimentally measured. A pump power dependence of anomalous time delay in rare-earth-doped fibers has been theoretically calculated and experimentally investigated. It has been shown that pump power fluctuations lead to propagation time jitter in Er³⁺-doped fiber amplifiers. The pulse interaction due to refractive index change caused by gain saturation is predicted. It has been shown that for Er ³⁺-doped fibers with SiO₂-GeO₂ core composition, the anomalous dispersion per 1-dB gain is twice that of fibers with SiO₂-Al₂O₃ core, which is caused by gain curve form difference. A scheme of mutual compensation of intrinsic fiber dispersion and anomalous dispersion caused by Er³⁺ in the region 1.532-1.537 μm has been suggested