Quantum efficiency of a broadband near-infrared emission from Ni/sup 2+/-doped Li/sub 2/O-Ga/sub 2/O/sub 3/-SiO/sub 2/ transparent glass-ceramics

We have reported the optical properties of Ni/sup 2+/-doped Li/sub 2/O-Ga/sub 2/O/sub 3/-SiO/sub 2/ transparent glass-ceramics system and the improvement of quantum efficiency makes Ni/sup 2+/-doped glass-ceramics applicable to optical amplifiers and lasers. Transparent glass-ceramics with LiGa/sub 5/O/sub 8/ nanocrystals are very attractive as a matrix for Ni/sup 2+/, since the quantum efficiency of the near-infrared emission of Ni/sup 2+/ doped in LiGa/sub 5/O/sub 8/ is almost 100% up to 350 K. We have obtained an efficient broadband emission in the 1.3 /spl mu/m band from transparent glass-ceramics with Ni/sup 2+/-doped LiGa/sub 5/O/sub 8/ nanocrystals at room temperature.