SBIR Phase I: Endohedral Metallofullerenes for Fiber Optic Applications

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9861142 This Phase I Small Business Innovation Research project aims to obtain erbium endohedral metallofullerenes using recently developed purification processes and incorporate these materials into optical fiber and related devices with improved performance suitable for near term commercial application. Glasses activated with trivalent lanthanide ions emitting in the near infrared region are of current interest because of their potentiality as materials for high power lasers and optical amplifiers for fiber communications, and for fiber optic sensing applications. Currently, erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA) are used for regeneration of optical data, enabling transmission over extremely long distances. In addition, erbium doped fiber is being investigated for use in ring laser devices for gyroscopic applications, and fluorescence of rare-earth materials such as erbium may be used to measure temperature through the relation between the fluorescent decay time and temperature. By encapsulating erbium ions in the metallofullerene Er2 @ C82, the erbium is provided an exceptionally homogeneous environment relative to silica glass. This can have the effect of increasing the excited state lifetime and corresponding laser efficiency, and can be important in upconversion lasers. Improved erbium doped materials using endohedral metallofullerenes would have immediate commercial application in erbium doped fiber amplifiers, fiber lasers, fiber ring laser gyroscopes, and other communication and sensor products, including fluorescence based temperature sensors for aircraft applications. Purified erbium endohedral metallofullerene material can be sold as raw material, and fiber preforms doped with erbium EMF could be sold to fiber manufacturers.