Abstract
Direct measurements of the gain/loss spectra for the principal transition of the
erbium ion (1.5μm) in ytterbium-erbium phosphate glasses as a function of the
concentration of ytterbium ions and the laser pump power have been carried out. The
ytterbium concentration was varied from zero to the limiting value of
52.4×10<sup>20</sup>cm<sup>−3</sup>. It is shown that increasing the ytterbium
concentration, beginning with N<sub>Yb</sub>=20.9×10<sup>20</sup>cm<sup>−3</sup>,
results in a reduction of the gain threshold. On glass with the limiting ytterbium
concentration (ytterbium metaphosphate), population inversion is achieved at low pump
powers of 35mW. The largest gain of 0.1cm<sup>−1</sup> is obtained on a sample 0.5mm
thick with ytterbium concentration 41.7×10<sup>20</sup>cm<sup>−3</sup> and erbium
concentration 0.29×10<sup>20</sup>cm<sup>−3</sup> with an absorbed pump power of 210mW.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
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