Investigation of the role of silver on spectroscopic features of Er3+-activated Ag-exchanged silicate and phosphate glasses

We present a spectroscopic investigation on Er/Ag co-doped thin plates of silicate and phosphate glasses with the aim of assessing the effective role of silver as a sensitizer for erbium. Additive heat treatments in air at different temperatures were performed on both the silver-exchanged and the silver-free plates. The optical and spectroscopic features of the samples were investigated by photoluminescence measurements in the region of the 4I13/2 ? 4I15/2 transition of the Er3+ ion, excitation spectra in the range from 360 to 750 nm, and absorption measurements. Enhancement of the Er3+ luminescence at 1.5 ?m has been demonstrated when the excitation is in the weak absorption band, located in the blue region, and potentially originating from the surface plasmon resonance of small silver nanoparticles.