Broadband emission in Er(3+)-Tm(3+) codoped tellurite fibre.

The visible and near infrared emission spectra of Er(3+)-Tm3(3+)-codoped tellurite glasses and fibres were measured with the excitation of an 800 nm laser. A broad emission extending from 1.35 mum to 1.6 mum with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of ~160 nm was recorded in a 24 cm long 0.2 wt% Er(2)O(3) and 1.0 wt% Tm(2)O(3) codoped tellurite fibre. Energy transfer between Er(3+) and Tm(3+) play important roles in the luminescence mechanism. These results indicate that Er(3+)-Tm(3+) codoped tellurite fibre could be a promising material for broadband light source and broadband amplifier for the wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems.