Structural Engineering of Glass for Regulating Chemical Surroundings of Dopants

Abstract

Optical gain materials activated by dopants are playing pivotal roles in fiber amplifiers, solid-state lasers and biological imaging. Achieving high-photoluminescence (PL) efficiency in stable matrix by regulating the chemical surroundings of dopants in inert glass matrix remains a challenge. Here, we reported a novel method for regulating the chemical surroundings of dopants by modulating the topological structure of the glass matrix. This method modulates the chemical surroundings of doping centers by adjusting the connectivity of the glass network structure, thereby achieving the regulation of dopants’ PL efficiency. Furthermore, by utilizing lattice-site substitution engineering, the spectral shape and PL efficiency of active centers can be regulated via controlling the way of cation substitution at sub-nanometer scale.