Intense photoluminescence at 2.7 μm in transparent Er 3+:CaF2-fluorophosphate glass microcomposite.

Er3+ doped CaF2-fluorophosphate (FP) glass microcomposites were produced by heat-treating the mixture of Er3+:CaF2 precipitate and FP glass powder above the melting temperature of the FP glass. The appearance of CaF2 crystallites in the resulting composites was confirmed by x ray diffraction. Despite the fact that the average diameter of the crystallites was around 10 μm as revealed by the micromorphology study, a transparent composite was obtained by matching the refractive index of FP glass to that of CaF2. Intense IR fluorescence at around 2.7 μm was observed in the composite, implying the composite would be a promising candidate for IR lasers and amplifiers.