Recent progress in 1.4μm～1.7μm broadband light amplification materials

The broadband amplification is defined as the net amplified gain achieved in the whole lowest loss wavelength band 1.4μm～1.7μm of silicabased fibers. Efficient broadband light amplification materials can meet the needs of large information capacity and optical integration in communications. The materials for this application are mostly oxide-doped rare earth (RE) thin films, glasses and polymers. The former two materials are introduced in terms of band width, photoluminescence (PL) characteristic and PL mechanisms. The methods to improve the PL properties are discussed with the author′s previous results and experiences. It is concluded that there is a great potential for nano-structured RE co-doped materials. Finally, the prospect of the optical amplification is put forward.