Erbium and ytterbium co-doped phosphate glass optical fiber amplifiers using short active fiber length

A phosphate glass optical fiber attenuator, comprising:

• a phosphate glass fiber containing the following ingredients by weight percentages,
• P2O5 from 30 to 80 percent,
• Yb2O3 from 0 to 12 percent,
• Er2O3 from 2.5 to 12 percent,
• L2O3 from 5 to 30 percent,
• MO from 5 to 30 percent,
• wherein MO is selected from the alkaline earth oxide group consisting of BaO, BeO, MgO, SrO, CaO, ZnO, PbO and mixtures thereof, and L2O3 is selected from the transition metal oxide group consisting of Al2O3, B2O3.Y2O3, La2O3, and mixtures thereof.

An optical device comprising:

• phosphate glass fiber amplifier including,
• at least one phosphate glass fiber containing at least erbium dopants, said fiber being substantially free of R2O, wherein R2O is selected from the alkali metal oxide group consisting of Li2O, K2O, Na2O, Rb2O, and mixtures thereof,
• a substrate configured to hold said phosphate glass fiber, and
• a first optical pump configured to excite erbium ionic energy levels in said phosphate glass fiber, wherein said energy levels pumped by said optical pump produce, upon introduction of an input optical signal, stimulated emission and amplification of said input signal;
• and
• an optical component mounted to the substrate.

A phosphate glass composition, comprising:

• a concentration of Er2O3 from 1.5 to 12 weight %;
• a BaO concentration of x, where 0<x≦30 wt. %;
• a ZnO concentration of y, where 0<y≦20 wt. %,
• wherein the glass composition has a temperature coefficient of refractive index from −2.0×10−6 to 2.0×10−6.

A phosphate glass composition comprising the following ingredients by weight percentages,

• P2O5 from 30 to 80 percent,
• Er2O3 from 2.5 to 12 percent,
• L2O3 from 5 to 30 percent,
• MO from 5 to 30 percent,
• wherein MO is selected from the alkaline earth oxide group consisting of BaO, BeO, MgO, SrO, CaO, ZnO, PbO and mixtures thereof, L2O3 is selected from the transition metal oxide group consisting of Al2O3, B2O3.Y2O3, La2O3, and mixtures thereof, and the glass composition has a temperature coefficient of refractive index from −2.0×10−6 to 2.0×10−6.

A phosphate glass optical fiber amplifier, comprising:

• a phosphate glass fiber having a length from 5 mm to 25 cm, said glass fiber having a core and a cladding including the following ingredients by weight percentages,
• P2O5 from 30 to 80 percent in said core and said cladding,
• Er2O3 of at least 1.5 percent in said core,
• Yb2O3 of at least 2.5 percent in said core,
• L2O3 from 5 to 30 percent in said core and said cladding, wherein L2O3 is selected Al2O3, B2O3, Y2O3, La2O3 and mixtures thereof, and
• MO from 5 to 30 percent in said core and said cladding, wherein MO is selected from BaO, BeO, MgO, SrO, CaO, ZnO, PbO and mixtures thereof;
• and
• a multi-mode laser that emits light into the cladding to pump erbium and ytterbium ionic energy levels in said core, wherein introduction of an input optical signal in said core produces stimulated emission and amplification of said input signal.

An optical fiber, comprising:

• an optical fiber having a glass composition that comprises the following ingredients by weight percentages,
• P2O5 from 30 to 80 percent,
• Er2O3 of at least 1.5 percent,
• Yb2O3 of at least 2.5 percent,
• L2O3 from 5 to 30 percent where L2O3 is selected from Al2O3, B2O3, Y2O3, La2O3, and mixtures thereof, and
• MO from 5 to 30 percent where MO is selected from BaO, BeO, MgO, SrO, CaO, ZnO, PbO and mixtures thereof,
• wherein the glass composition is substantially free of R2O where R2O is selected from the alkali metal oxide group consisting of Li2O, K2O, Na2O, Rb2O, and mixtures thereof.

A phosphate glass composition comprising the following ingredients by weight percentages,

• P2O5 from 30 to 80 percent,
• Er2O3 from 1.5 to 12 percent,
• L2O3 from 5 to 30 percent,
• MO from 5 to 30 percent,
• wherein MO is selected from BaO, BeO, MgO, SrO, CaO, ZnO, PbO and mixtures thereof, L2O3 is selected from Al2O3, B2O3.Y2O3, La2O3, and mixtures thereof, and the glass composition has a temperature coefficient of refractive index from −2.0×10−6 to 2.0×10−6.