Quantum-efficiency measurements in oxygen-containing gallium lanthanum sulphide glasses and fibers doped with Pr3+

The production of competitive fiber amplifiers in the 1,3-mu m region requires both good quantum efficiency in the lasing ion and the capability to produce low-loss fibers, Oxygen-doped gallium lanthanum sulphide (GLS) doped with Pr3+ may provide a route to both, We describe measurements of the quantum efficiency of Pr3+ emission at 1.3 mu m from the (1)G(4)-H-3(5) transition in GLS glass and fiber containing varying quantities of lanthanum oxide, We show that oxide containing GLS glasses, which are known to have considerably better thermal and glass-forming properties than pure GLS, can show quantum efficiencies of up to 84% of that of pure GLS, No degradation of quantum efficiency is seen when oxide-containing GLS glass is pulled into fiber form.