Characterization of Er-doped sodium-niobium phosphate glasses

Er-doped sodium-niobium phosphate glasses have been produced by the melting technique. Theft optical properties have been fully characterized and show a broad fluorescence band around 1.5 ?m. The fluorescence lifetime of the 4I13/2 metastable state is 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 theft properties are described here.