GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ER3+ CROSS-SECTIONS

We have applied the theory of McCumber to the (4)4I13/2 <--> 4I15/2 transition of Er3+-doped glasses and confirmed its ability to provide both spectra and accurate values of cross sections. For an Al/P-silica fiber, the exact McCumber treatment is within 3% of the measured emission cross section, whereas an Einstein analysis is off by > 50%. An approximate treatment that eliminates the McCumber theory's requirement of detailed electronic structure has been developed and found to usually provide more accurate values than an Einstein analysis.