OPTICAL FUNCTIONING GLASS AND APPARATUS USING THE SAME

摘要

An optical functioning glass for enabling optical amplification at 1.3-.mu.m wavelength band or increasing efficiency of the amplification is disclosed. The optical functioning glass contains Nd3+ as an active material and uranium, both of which are doped in a multi-component function glass serving as a host glass. Since uranium is doped in the optical functioning glass, light emission of Nd3+ in the 1.06-.mu.m wavelength band can be absorbed by uranium. A decrease in efficiency of induced emission in a 1.3-.mu.m wavelength band can be prevented, and an optical functioning glass suitable for optical amplification in the 1.3-.mu.m wavelength band can be obtained. When a fiber is formed using the optical functioning glass as a core, a low-threshold, high-gain fiber amplifier, fiber laser, and the like can be obtained.