Codopant polymers for efficient optical amplification

A method of manufacturing a polymer comprising:

• providing a sodium salt of a fully halogenated substituted acid in liquid acetone, the sodium salt having a general composition 3(n+m)RR′ZDDNa, wherein:
• n and m are positive integers;
• D is one of the elements of Group VIA;
• Z is one of the elements of Group VA;
• R is a first fully halogenated organic group;
• and
• R′ is a second fully halogenated organic group;
• providing a first rare earth chloride XCl3 in dry acetone, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;
• providing a second rare earth chloride YCl3 in dry acetone, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;
• combining the sodium salt in the liquid acetone, the first rare earth chloride in the dry acetone, and the second rare earth chloride in the dry acetone together to form a mixture;
• stirring the mixture under nitrogen for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature;
• adding distilled water to the mixture;
• boiling the aqueous solution;
• filtering the aqueous solution;
• washing the aqueous solution with boiling water, forming a washed product;
• and
• drying the washed product.

A polymer comprised of a general composition {XY[DDZRR′]3}n, where:

• X is a first rare earth element;
• Y is a second rare earth element ;
• D is one of the elements of Group VIA;
• Z is one of the elements of Group VA;
• R is a first fully halogenated organic group;
• R′ is a second fully halogenated organic group;
• and
• n is an integer greater than 1;
• the polymer being formed by:
• providing a sodium salt of a fully halogenated substituted acid in liquid acetone, the sodium salt having a general composition 3(n+m)RR′ZDDNa, wherein:
• n and m are positive integers;
• D is one of the elements of Group VIA;
• Z is one of the elements of Group VA;
• R is a first fully halogenated organic group;
• and
• R′is a second fully halogenated organic group;
• providing a first rare earth chloride XCl3 in dry acetone, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;
• providing a second rare earth chloride YCl3 in dry acetone, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;
• combining the sodium salt in the liquid acetone, the first rare earth chloride in the dry acetone, and the second rare earth chloride in the dry acetone together to form a mixture;
• stirring the mixture under nitrogen for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature;
• adding distilled water to the mixture;
• boiling the aqueous solution;
• filtering the aqueous solution;
• washing the aqueous solution with boiling water, forming a washed product;
• and
• drying the washed product.

A polymer comprised of a general composition {XAl[DDZRR′]3}n, where:

• X is a rare earth element;
• D is one of the elements of Group VIA;
• Z is one of the elements of Group VA;
• R is a first fully halogenated organic group;
• R′ is a second fully halogenated organic group;
• and
• n is an integer greater than 1.