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arXiv:physics/0702139 · Journal of Applied Physics

Optical bistability in Er-Yb codoped phosphate glass microspheres at room temperature

Jonathan M. Ward, Danny G. O’Shea, Brian Shortt, Síle Nic Chormaic

Published Jul 15, 2007• 38 citations
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Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate optical bistability in Er3+-Yb3+ phosphate glass microspheres at 295 K. Bistability is associated with both Er3+ fluorescence and lasing behavior, and chromatic switching. The chromatic switching results from an intrinsic mechanism exploiting the thermal coupling of closely spaced energy levels, and occurs simultaneously with the intensity switching. A contrast ratio of 2.8 has been obtained for chromatic switching. The intensity switching shows ratios of 21 for 520 nm and 11 for 660 nm fluorescence emissions, and 11 for IR lasing at 1.5 μm. Concurrent with these observations, we investigate a temperature-dependent absorption of pump power, which exhibits bistable behavior. The influences of the host matrix on lasing and fluorescence mechanisms are highlighted.

DOI
10.1063/1.2753591

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Journal of the Ceramic Society of Japan•Jan 1, 2000•1 citation
We experimentally demonstrate optical bistability in Er3+-Yb3+ phosphate glass microspheres at 295 K. Bistability is associated with both Er3+ fluorescence and lasing behavior, and chromatic switching. The chromatic switching results from an intrinsic mechanism exploiting the thermal coupling of closely spaced energy levels, and occurs simultaneously with the intensity switching. A contrast ratio of 2.8 has been obtained for chromatic switching. The intensity switching shows ratios of 21 for 520 nm and 11 for 660 nm fluorescence emissions, and 11 for IR lasing at 1.5 μm. Concurrent with these observations, we investigate a temperature-dependent absorption of pump power, which exhibits bistable behavior. The influences of the host matrix on lasing and fluorescence mechanisms are highlighted.
Microsphere cavities offer appealing advantages for applications as miniature light sources due to their small size, high quality factor and low mode volume. Active spheres can be fabricated from glass doped with rare-earth ions such as Er3+ and Yb3+. The close proximity of energy levels in these triply-ionized ions is of particular advantage for obtaining fluorescence emissions through various upconversion mechanisms [1]. Here we report the first observation of chromatic and intensity optical bistability (OB) in a commercial, active, phosphate glass (Schott IOG-2) microsphere driven by thermal avalanche at room temperature. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of simultaneous intensity OB (at multiple wavelengths) and chromatic OB in a single material.
This thesis reports experiments and theory on intrinsic mirrorless bistability in the luminescence of ytterbium-doped crystals and glasses. The main results are the observation of intrinsically bistable luminescence at room temperature and chromatic switching at low temperature, reported here for the first time. The nonlinear dynamics responsible for these optical phenomena are shown to arise from ion-ion interactions controlled by the application of resonant electromagnetic fields. On the theoretical side, the classical Lorentz local field correction is shown to be the lowest order term of radiation-driven correlation contributions to local polarization which arise from inter-ion coherences and cooperative relaxation and frequency shifts beyond the dynamic shift are predicted. The nonlinear Maxwell-Bloch equations are extended to describe energy transfer between different species of ions predicting bistability in excited state populations which then emit bistable luminescence as a consequence, and an intensity dependent transfer rate is predicted. Diffusive excitation migration in space is also explored as a possible mechanism for generating multiple instabilities, but is not predicted to give rise to hysteresis loops by itself. On the experimental side, original observations of intrinsic optical switching and hysteresis are reported in the luminescence of Yb:CsCdBr 3 and Yb, Tm:glass. Evidence of cross-coupling between different impurities is also presented, together with spectroscopic details of intrinsic chromatic switching between different luminescent transitions of the acceptor species in Yb, Er:CsCdBr3 excited at the infrared Yb resonance wavelength. Conclusive spectroscopic evidence that excludes thermal effects as responsible for low temperature intrinsic switching is also presented. Room temperature intrinsic optical switching and hysteresis are reported for the first time in bulk Yb,Tm:glass samples. Switching, hysteresis, and clamping of laser output from waveguide channels fabricated in the glass material are also reported and indicate fundamental design limitations for compact optical amplifiers and oscillators.
Intrinsic bistability in active optical compounds doped with rare-earth ions has attracted widespread interest because of its relevance for optical signal switching and routing. In this paper, room temperature strong bistability effect of Ybsensitized Tm upconversion emission is reported in zirconium dioxide nanocrystal host matrix under infrared diode laser irradiation. The distinct optical bistability behavior is simultaneously observed in three emission bands of Tm ion around 480, 650/680 and 800 nm which are assigned to the radiative transitions of 1G4→3H6, 1G4→3F4/3F2,3→3H6, and 3H4→3H6, respectively. The bistability loops exhibit uniformly clockwise cycle characterized by a relatively lower trace of emission intensity at decreasing pump power than the trace at increasing pump power. Multiphoton upconversion processes are analyzed to determine the Yb→Tm energy transfer mechanism. Such strong bistability effect is associated with thermally enhanced nonradiative decay and reduced luminescence quantum yield due to the strong pump-induced local thermal loading.
The dependence of the negative nonlinear absorption effect at 1.5μm on the sample temperature, the modulation frequency and the sample length were investigated in glasses containing amounts higher than 20mol% Er3+. Reversed-phase waveforms were observed in the temperature range -260-600°C and at modulation frequencies from 1kHz to 10GHz in an erbium-doped phosphate glass. With increasing temperature, the amplitude of the reversed-phase waveforms decreases exponentially according to two separate steps. Optical bistability in the transmitted laser was observed in the range of incident laser intensity of 30μW/cm2-2.4mW/cm2. The transmitted laser intensity propagating through the glass decreased exponentially according to the well-known exponential law. However, the amplitude of the optical bistability increased logarithmically as the sample length was increased. The negative nonlinear absorption effect can be explained by considering an enhanced absorption model for a four-level system of the Er3+ ion.