Fluoroindate glasses co-doped with Pr(3+)/Er(3+) for near-infrared luminescence applications

Fluoroindate glasses co-doped with Pr(3+)/Er(3+) ions were synthesized and their near-infrared luminescence properties have been examined under selective excitation wavelengths. For the Pr(3+)/Er(3+) co-doped glass samples several radiative and nonradiative relaxation channels and their mechanisms are proposed under direct excitation of Pr(3+) and/or Er(3+). The energy transfer processes between Pr(3+) and Er(3+) ions in fluoroindate glasses were identified. In particular, broadband near-infrared luminescence (FWHM = 278 nm) associated to the (1)G(4) → (3)H(5) (Pr(3+)), (1)D(2) → (1)G(4) (Pr(3+)) and (4)I(13/2) → (4)I(15/2) (Er(3+)) transitions of rare earth ions in fluoroindate glass is successfully observed under direct excitation at 483 nm. Near-infrared luminescence spectra and their decays for glass samples co-doped with Pr(3+)/Er(3+) are compared to the experimental results obtained for fluoroindate glasses singly doped with rare earth ions.