Study of upconversion in PCFs with high erbium concentration

Abstract

We report on a comparison of characterization techniques for high concentration erbium-doped photonic crystal fibres (PCFs). A highly erbium-doped-silica PCF was fabricated and an amplifier based on the PCF was built. Then, measurements on the amplifier output optical powers were carried out. To model the amplifier, three different formalisms were assumed for the Er 3+ -ion upconversion mechanism and the numerical results were fitted to the experimental ones. The sets of best-fit parameters are compared and the use of these techniques for active PCF characterisation is discussed.

Study of upconversion in highly Er-doped photonic crystal fibers through laser-transient dynamics

“…These inter-atomic mechanisms complicate both the modeling and characterization procedures of amplifiers and lasers based on highly Er-doped PCFs. In this regard, modeling of various macroscopic and microscopic formalisms (quadratic model, microscopic statistical, pair-induced quenching) has been elaborated to describe these processes [5]. On the other hand, steady-state and dynamic characterization techniques (numerical fitting to CW-pump gain and to amplified spontaneous emission relaxation after pump switch-off, respectively) have been developed, and been shown to offer complementary information on the active PCF characteristic parameters [5,6].…”