Abstract

Pr³⁺, due to its four level laser transition ¹G₄→³H₅ has been shown to be a potential candidate for amplification at 1.3 µm. Pr³⁺-doped fluorozirconate glass (ZBLAN) fibers have recently been demonstrated to yield large (≈ 30 dB) gain at 1.31 µm.¹ The pump power needed to invert the Pr³⁺ ion and produce an efficient amplifier has been, to date, several hundred mW. This is due in large part to the short lifetime of the ¹G₄ level, reported to be 110 ps in ZBLAN, which is limited by non-radiative decay.¹ Improvements can be made by finding a host for which the ¹G₄ lifetime is longer.

© 1992 Optical Society of America