Luminescence properties of a multi-component glass co-implanted with Si and Er

The incorporation of Si-nc in Er doped silica is known to strongly enhance the infrared luminescence of Er3+ at 1.54nm. The enhancement is believed to be due to an energy transfer process from Si-nc to Er. In this work we investigate the formation of Si nano-aggregates and their role in the energy transfer process to Er3+ ions for a multi-component glass host. These materials can offer better performances than silica in terms of Er solubility and band broadness for integrated Er-doped optical amplifiers and investigation is therefore very interesting for optoelectronic applications. Si and Er were co-implanted by choosing the implantation energies in order to optimize the overlap between the concentration profiles. The precipitation of Si and the enhancement of the 1.54 μm Er emission were studied for different post-implantation annealing temperatures. In particular the optical properties of the glass were investigated by means of photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and the results are discussed in relation to a standard silica substrate. These data are presented and related to the structural properties of the material. Moreover the implications on the future development of an Er doped optical amplifier are discussed.