| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/N16815/01 |
| Title: |
RARE EARTH DOPED, TRANSPARENT GLASS-CERAMIC WAVEGUIDES FOR BROAD, FLAT BAND OPTICAL AMPLIFICATION |
| Principal Investigator: |
Seddon, Professor AB |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Sch of Mech Materials Manuf Eng Mgt |
| Organisation: |
University of Nottingham |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 September 2000 |
Ends: |
31 August 2003 |
Value (£): |
289,048
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Communications |
Electronics |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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All-optical telecom. Amplifiers with broad, flat band gain are needed to improve upon current devices based on erbium doped high-silica glasses. Rare earth doped, transparent oxyhalide glass-ceramics are candidate materials with combined advantages of : (i) rare earth ions efficiently partitioned into low phonon energy fluoride nanocrystals where fluorescent lifetimes and cross-sections are potentially high and (ii) a robust oxide glass matrix. The programme will investigate different levels of Er3+ doping,and Th3+ doping, which potentially span a broad band within the 3rd telcom window, in several oxyhalide glass-ceramics. The evolution of crystal growth and rare earth partitioning will be studied in detail by analytical transmission electron microscopy and linked to concomitant evolution of spectral absorption and emission, and fluorescent lifetimes of the Er3+ and Th3+ dopants, inviting some elegant materials science. The onset of concentration quenching will be investigated. Light scattering from the nanocrystals must be minimised and optical loss mechanisms will be modelled and compared with measured loss. Refractive index dispersion will be measured. Waveguides of the best systems will be fabricated and passed to Nortel Networks for device assessment. The programme falls within the spirit of the Call, being centerd on simultaneously optimising nanoscale and micron scale processing of these promising materials.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk |