Photonic properties of erbium activated coated microspheres

Yoann Jestin (1) , Christina Armellini (1) , Andrea Chiappini (1) , Alessandro Chiasera (1) , Yannick Dumeige (2) , Maurizio Ferrari (1) , Patrice Feron (2) , Laura Ghisa (2) , Gualtiero Nunzi Conti (3) , Stephane Trebaol (2) , Giancarlo C. Righini (3)

1 IFN - Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie
2 FOTON - Fonctions Optiques pour les Technologies de l'informatiON
3 IFAC - Istituto di Fisica Applicata "Nello Carrara"

A simple method based on the sol-gel technology has been developed to coat passive microspheres with an active coating. The microspheres were prepared by fusion of a standard telecom fiber with a dimension of about 200 μm and 400 μm and have been respectively dipped in a 70SiO2-30HfO2 sol activated by 1 mol% and 0.1 mol% of erbium ions.Here we first report about the luminescence properties of a silica-hafnia coating doped with erbium ions and then whispering gallery mode spectra were analysed for different sphere diameters, thickness of coating and erbium concentration. The thickness of the coating has been chosen in order to support at least one whispering gallery mode at 1.5 μm. A simple method based on the sol-gel technology has been developed to coat passive microspheres with an active coating. The microspheres were prepared by fusion of a standard telecom fiber with a dimension of about 200 μm and 400 μm and have been respectively dipped in a 70SiO2-30HfO2 sol activated by 1 mol% and 0.1 mol% of erbium ions.Here we first report about the luminescence properties of a silica-hafnia coating doped with erbium ions and then whispering gallery mode spectra were analysed for different sphere diameters, thickness of coating and erbium concentration. The thickness of the coating has been chosen in order to support at least one whispering gallery mode at 1.5 μm.

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]

Yoann Jestin, Christina Armellini, Andrea Chiappini, Alessandro Chiasera, Yannick Dumeige, et al.. Photonic properties of erbium activated coated microspheres. SPIE Photonics West 20087 - Optoelectronic Materials, Devices, and Applications (OPTO 2008), Jan 2008, San Jose (CA), United States. pp.689008, ⟨10.1117/12.762916⟩. ⟨hal-00350925⟩