GLASS COMPOSITION CONTAINING BISMUTH AND METHOD OF AMPLIFYING SIGNAL LIGHT THEREWITH

摘要

A novel glass composition capable of emitting fluorescence derived frombismuth (Bi) and improved in meltability. There is provided a glasscomposition comprising bismuth oxide, Al2O3 and SiO2, the SiO2 being a maincomponent of glass network forming oxides, the glass composition furthercomprising at least one oxide selected from among TiO2, GeO2, P2O5 and B2O3,wherein the total content of components consisting of SiO2 and the at leastone oxide plus Y2O3 and lanthanide oxides is 80 mol%. The bismuth containedin the bismuth oxide functions as a luminescent species, and the glasscomposition emits fluorescence in the infrared wavelength region when exposedto excitation light.