Site-selective spectroscopy in dysprosium-doped chalcogenide glasses for 1.3µm optical fiber amplifiers

Dy3+ -doped chalcogenide glasses are potential candidates for 1.3µm optical-fiber amplifiers. We describe spectroscopic characterization of Dy3+ -doped gallium lanthanum sulphide glasses with low and high oxide content. The spectroscopic investigations show that small amounts of oxide (1) in low-oxide-content sulphide glass create a second group of sites with a local environment different than that of the main sulphide sites. Dy3+ ions in the oxide site, which can constitute up to approximately one third of the total number of Dy3+ ions, experience a high-phonon-energy environment and do not show any 1.3µm emission and hence cannot provide gain for a potential 1.3µm optical-fiber amplifier in this material