Application of LIBS technology for quantification of Er³⁺ ions in tellurite glasses

Er³⁺ doped tellurite glasses have been the subject of current research for potential applications in photonics. When compared with other glasses, these materials exhibit some valuable properties in the field of optical fiber amplification or laser radiation generation, such as a high refractive index, a broad photoluminescence band around 1550 nm, high chemical and thermal stability, high infrared transmittance, low phonon energies, and relatively high stimulated emission cross-sections. However, the optical performance of these materials can be diminished when they are exposed to a high amount of radiation. One possible explanation for the optical gain loss could be associated with the reduction of the Er³⁺ ions density within the matrix. In this sense, having a technique that allows knowing the Er³⁺ ions concentration within a tellurite vitreous matrix in real time, is highly relevant for the field of optics. In this work, Er³⁺ doped tellurite glasses were fabricated by the melt quenching technique. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy was used to identify and determine the Er³⁺ ions concentration, measurement and calibration routines that guarantee the implementation of this technique for this purpose, were performed first. The structural and optical properties of the tellurite glass samples were also studied and discussed.