Carbon implanted waveguides in soda lime glass doped with Yb3+ and Er3+ for visible light emission

Channel waveguides were fabricated by carbon implantation in soda lime glass samples doped with Er3+ and Yb3+, exhibiting good confinement and both monomode and multimode behaviour at 633nm. Excitation at near infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet (UV) spectral ranges were used in order to obtain anti-Stokes (upconversion) and Stokes (downshift) emission in the visible range, respectively. The characteristic green and red bands of Er3+ transitions were observed, showing the potential of Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doping for the generation of visible guided emission under NIR excitation. •Channel waveguides were fabricated by C2+ implantation in Er and Er–Yb: soda lime.•The channels exhibit good confinement and both monomode and multimode behaviour.•Anti-Stokes and Stokes emission in the visible range were obtained.•The red to green intensity ratio changes when exciting in the UV and NIR.•Yb–Er energy transfer is confirmed from the higher lifetimes in the codoped glass.