405-nm pumped Ce³⁺-doped silica fiber for broadband fluorescence from cyan to red

A pure Ce-doped silica fiber is fabricated using modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technique. Fluorescence characteristics of a Ce-doped silica fiber are experimentally investigated with continuous wave pumping from 440 nm to 405 nm. Best pump absorption and broad fluorescence spectrum is observed for ∼ 405 nm laser. Next, the detailed analysis of spectral response as a function of pump power and fiber length is performed. It is observed that a-10dB spectral width of ∼ 280 mn can be easily achieved with different combinations of the fiber length and pump power. Lastly, we present, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, a broadband fluorescence spectrum with-10dB spectral width of 301 nm, spanning from ∼ 517.36 nm to ∼ 818 nm, from such fibers with non-UV pump lasers.