Spectroscopy of Dy(3+) in Ge-Ga-S glass and its suitability for 1.3-microm fiber-optical amplifier applications.

Absorption and emission spectra, along with lifetime measurements, of Dy(3+) in Ge-Ga-S glasses are reported. Fluorescence is observed at 1.3, 1.8, and 2.9 microm. A Judd-Ofelt analysis is performed to determine branching ratios and quantum efficiencies. The hypersensitive transition (6)F(11/2) ? (6)H(15/2) at 1.3 microm has a quantum efficiency of 17%. Its suitability for an optical amplifier at 1.3 microm depends on the excited-state absorption from the (6)H(11/2) and (6)H(13/2) states, which has not yet been measured.