Effect of thermal treatment parameters on the spectral characteristics of BAC-Al in bismuth/erbium-codoped aluminosilicate fibers

For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the effect of thermal quenching on the spectral properties of bismuth-related active centers (BAC)-Al is investigated systematically with varying quenching conditions. It is found that the peak luminescence of BAC-Al at 1140 nm is maximally enhanced by 1.6 times with a heating dwell time of 2 min at 500°C and subsequent quenching, suggesting that a short dwell time with a high heating temperature (500°C) favors the activation or growth of BAC-Al, whereas the prolonged heating time with a slow cooling rate results in the deactivation of BACs and the aggregation of background loss. The underlying mechanism of activation and destruction of BAC-Al is also analyzed and discussed. The experimental results demonstrate a promising strategy for enhancing the spectral performance of BAC-Al in the range of 1.1–1.35 μm.