Addition of Ag2O in Er3+doped oxyfluorophosphate glass to allow the drawing of optical fibers

Here, Ag₂O containing glasses in the NaPO₃–CaF₂ glass network were prepared using standard melting process. The addition of Ag₂O was found to increase the thermal stability of the glass due to the decrease in the Q² units at the expense of Q¹ units, to decrease the intensity of the upconversion under 980 nm pumping and to have a small impact on the nucleation and growth mechanism. Due to the thermal stability against crystallization of the glass prepared with 4 mol % of Ag₂O, we demonstrate that fiber can be drawn from this glass. Despite the formation of Ag nanoparticles at the surface of the fiber although the drawing is a fast process, light can still be confined in the fiber. The fiber exhibits a large emission band centered at 1.5 μm under 980 nm pumping.