Abstract

Since the first demonstration of a broadband near infrared (NIR) photoluminescence in Bi-doped silica glasses [1], a great number of hypotheses on its origin were proposed. Nevertheless, up to now the nature of luminescent centres in various glasses remains unclear. Recently, using sol-gel nano-porous pure silica glasses as a host material, we have shown [2,3] that even in so simple glass composition the absorption and PL spectra were still complex and multiple centres connected to bismuth doping should exist.

© 2011 Optical Society of America