Co-doped Dy 3+ and Pr 3+ Ga 5 Ge 20 Sb 10 S 65 fibers for mid-infrared broad emission.

Rare earth ion doped materials are means to obtain cost-effective infrared light sources, with enough brilliance for applications such as gas sensing. Within a sulfide matrix, the simultaneous luminescence of both Pr3+ and Dy3+ in the Ga5 Ge20 Sb10 S65 glass is reported. The use of these two rare earths is giving rise to a broad continuous luminescence in the 2.2-5.5 µm wavelength range, which could be used as a mid-infrared light source for gas-sensing applications. The demonstration of CO2 and CH4 detection using a fiber drawn from these materials is reported.