Abstract: Using sol-gel techniques, an optical gain medium has been fabricated comprising a glass ceramic host material that includes clusters of crystalline oxide material, especially tin oxide, and that is doped with active ions concentrated at the clusters. The active ions are preferentially located at the nanoclusters so that they experience the relatively low phonon energy of the oxide and are insensitive to the phonon energy of the host. A host with a high phonon energy, such as silica, can therefore be used without the usual drawback of reduced carrier lifetimes through enhanced nonradiative decay rates.

Abstract: A glass ceramic material with a base of silica and tin dioxide: the material has a vitreous silica matrix, in which there are dispersed crystalline aggregates of tin dioxide having submicrometric or nanometric dimensions, the dimensions being obtained by means of appropriate control of specific operating parameters of the process of preparation. The material has excellent values of optical transmission in the visible and in the near infrared and high properties of photosensitivity and optical non-linearity, which render the material suitable, in particular, for use in devices for optical telecommunications (integrated in optical fibre or on planar waveguide or in three-dimensional devices) and memories, the devices being obtainable, for example, by direct writing or using laser interferometric techniques.

Abstract: Using sol-gel techniques, an optical gain medium has been fabricated comprising a glass ceramic host material that includes clusters of crystalline oxide material, especially tin oxide, and that is doped with active ions concentrated at the clusters. The active ions are preferentially located at the nanoclusters so that they experience the relatively low phonon energy of the oxide and are insensitive to the phonon energy of the host. A host with a high phonon energy, such as silica, can therefore be used without the usual drawback of reduced carrier lifetimes through enhanced nonradiative decay rates.

Abstract: Using sol-gel techniques, an optical gain medium has been fabricated comprising a glass ceramic host material that includes clusters of crystalline oxide material, especially tin oxide, and that is doped with active ions concentrated at the clusters. The active ions are preferentially located at the nanoclusters so that they experience the relatively low phonon energy of the oxide and are insensitive to the phonon energy of the host. A host with a high phonon energy, such as silica, can therefore be used without the usual drawback of reduced carrier lifetimes through enhanced nonradiative decay rates.