实验实现了基于钠铝硼硅酸盐玻璃的近红外PbSe量子点光纤放大器(QDFA),并在钠铝硼硅酸盐玻璃基底中,通过优化熔融-退火法的热处理条件,制备中心粒径为4.08~5.88 nm的PbSe量子点光纤。该QDFA由量子点光纤、波分复用器、隔离器、抽运源等构成。实验表明:QDFA在1260~1380 nm区间实现了信号光的放大,增益波长区间与量子点的粒径大小有关。当输入信号光功率为-17 dBm时,输出信号光增益为16.4 dB,-3 dB带宽达80 nm。实验观测到明显的激励阈值和增益饱和现象。与常规的掺铒光纤放大器以及少模掺铒光纤放大器相比,本研究的QDFA的激励阈值低、带宽大、噪声小。本研究设计的PbSe-QDFA为扩展光纤通信波段和工业化应用提供了一种新的途径。

A PbSe quantum-dot-doped fiber amplifier (QDFA) in NIR region is realized in the experiment. We fabricate the PbSe quantum dot fiber (QDF) with the central diameter of 4.08-5.88 nm by optimizing the heat treatment conditions of the melt-annealing method in the sodium-aluminum-borosilicate silicate glass. The QDFA is composed of the QDF, the wavelength division multiplexer, the isolator, and the pump laser. The experimental results show that the signal light is amplified in the gain wavelength range of 1260-1380 nm depending on the particle size of quantum dots, where signal gain is 16.4 dB and -3 dB bandwidth reaches to 80 nm for the input signal of -17 dBm. An obvious excitation threshold and gain saturation phenomenon are observed in the experiment. Compared with conventional erbium-doped fiber amplifiers and few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, the proposed QDFA has a lower excitation threshold, wider bandwidth, and lower noise. It provides a novel approach to extend the current optical-fiber-communication waveband and industrial applications.