Optical Gain Measurements In Porous Silicon Planar Waveguides Codoped By Erbium And Ytterbium Ions At 1.53 Mu M

The on-off optical gain measurements as a function of the pump power were performed on porous silicon planar waveguides codoped by erbium and ytterbium ions. These measurements were obtained for different ratios of Yb concentration to Er concentration. The highest value of the gain was reached when the Yb concentration is three times higher than that of Er at a moderate 980 nm pump power value equal to 70 mW. Optical losses measurements have been performed on these waveguides and were equal to 2.1 dB/cm and an internal gain of about 6.4 dB/cm was obtained. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.