Niobium phosphate glasses doped with rare earths

Er- and Sm-doped sodium-niobium phosphate glasses have been produced by melting technique. Their optical and spectroscopic properties have been fully characterized. Fluorescence lifetimes of the metastable states of Er 3+ and Sm 3+ ions are long enough to make these glasses suitable to be used in optical amplification devices. Waveguides have been produced by diluted Ag +/Na + ion exchange and their properties are also described.