Optical gain in capillary light guides filled with NaYF4: Yb3+, Er3+nanocolloids.
A capillary light guide optical amplifier using nanocolloids of Yb3+-Er3+co-doped NaYF4as a filler was successfully demonstrated. A 7-cm-long and 150-micron-inner-diameter capillary light guide was capable to amplify a pulsed optical signal at 1550 nm with a gain coefficient of 0.15 cm-1at a pump power of 4 mW (980-nm wavelength). The nanocolloid gain medium was prepared by pulverizing the phosphor powder with a high-speed planetary ball mill. Ball milling of the powder in water produced nanoparticles with a size of approximately 130 nm that after drying were transferred to a liquid with high refractive index (1.551 at 1550 nm) required to maintain light confinement within the fused silica capillary light guide. The results show that RE-doped colloids of nanocrystals can be potentially used as liquid gain media fillers in capillary light guide lasers and amplifiers with high photostability and low toxicity.
Darayas N
DN
Patel
Sergey S
SS
Sarkisov
Abdalla M
AM
Darwish
John
J
Ballato