Rapid Prototyping of Low‐Loss IR Chalcogenide‐Glass Waveguides by Controlled Remelting

A method for fabricating infrared‐transmitting waveguides that yields low optical losses and strong confinement of light is presented. The method minimises the number of fabrication steps by exploiting the photosensitivity of arsenic trisulfide glass, using it both as a photoresist and as a waveguiding material. Controlled annealing/remelting of the waveguides minimises scattering due to fluctuations in refractive index at the interface between the waveguide and the surrounding medium, allowing low losses to be realised. Bends and Y‐splitter structures have been realised, as well as the longest As₂S₃ serpentine planar waveguides yet reported.     

Design of a coated thinly clad chalcogenide long-period fiber grating refractive index sensor based on dual-peak resonance near the phase matching turning point

A novel method for designing chalcogenide long-period fiber grating (LPFG) sensors based on the dual-peak resonance effect of the LPFG near the phase matching turning point (PMTP) is presented. Refractive index sensing in a high-refractive-index chalcogenide fiber is achieved with a coated thinly clad film. The dual-peak resonant characteristics near the PMTP and the refractive index sensing properties of the LPFG are analyzed first by the phase-matching condition of the LPFG. The effects of film parameters and cladding radius on the sensitivity of refractive index sensing are further discussed. The sensor is optimized by selecting the appropriate film parameters and cladding radius. Simulation results show that the ambient refractive index sensitivity of a dual-peak coated thinly clad chalcogenide LPFG at the PMTP can be 2400 nm/RIU, which is significantly higher than that of non-optimized gratings. It has great application potential in the field of chemical sensing and biosensors.     

Electrical transport and high pressure studies on bulk Ge20Te80 glass

The electrical resistivity of bulk Ge₂₀Te₈₀ has been measured as a function of pressure and temperature. At 5 GPa, an amorphous semiconductor-to-crystalline metal transition has been observed. The sample recovered from the high pressure cell, after the application of 7 GPa, has a face-centred cubic structure with a lattice constant of 6·42 A. In crystalline sample, the semiconductor-to-metal transition occurs at 7 GPa. The thermoelectric power has also been measured for glassy samples in the temperature range 300–240 K.     

新型单模大模场红外硫系玻璃光子晶体光纤设计研究

大模场光子晶体光纤在高功率激光传输、光纤放大器、光纤激光器中的广泛应用, 使其受到研究者的广泛关注.硫系玻璃在红外波段(1–20μm)具有优良透过性能, 且具有折射率高(2.0–3.5)、声子能量低(小于350 cm^-1)、 组分可调等特性, 成为制备红外光纤的理想材料. 本文设计一种基于Ge₂₀Sb₁₅Se₆₅硫系玻璃基质的新型单模传输、低损耗、超大模场面积光子晶体光纤结构, 经理论验证其在λ =10.6 μm处基模限制损耗远低于0.1 dB/m, 高阶限制模损耗大于2 dB/m, 模场面积约为13333 μm². 关键词： 硫系玻璃 大模场面积 红外光子晶体光纤 结构设计     

Thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of Ge–Se–Cd glasses

The effect is reported of varying cadmium concentration on the glass transition, thermal stability and crystallization kinetics of Ge₂₀Se_{80? x} Cd _x (x = 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 at. %) glasses. Differential scanning calorimetry results under non-isothermal conditions for the studied glasses are reported and discussed. The values of the glass transition temperature (T_g ) and the peak temperature of crystallization (T_p ) were found to be dependent on heating rate and Cd content. From the heating rate dependence of T_g and T_p , the values of the activation energy for glass transition (E_g ) and the activation energy for crystallization (E_c ) were evaluated and their composition dependence discussed. The thermal stability of the glasses was evaluated using various thermal stability criteria such as ΔT, H_g and S. The stability calculations emphasize that the thermal stability decreases with increasing Cd content.     

Pre-exponential factor for non-isothermal crystallization of glassy Se85− x Te15Sb x (0 ≤ x ≤ 10) alloys

We report observations of the Meyer–Neldel rule for the non-isothermal crystallization of glassy Se_{85? x} Te₁₅Sb _x (x =?0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) alloys. We found a strong co-relation between the pre-exponential factor K ₀ of the rate constant K(T) for crystallization and the activation energy of crystallization E _c. This indicates the presence of a compensation effect for the non-isothermal crystallization process in this glassy system. The composition dependence of the crystallization temperature T _c and the activation energy for crystallization E _c is discussed.     

Structural interpretation of specific heat measurements on glassy Se100− x Sb x alloys

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to study glassy Se_{100- x} Sb _x (x = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) alloys at a heating rate of 10°C min^?1 under non-isothermal conditions. An extremely large increase in the specific heat, C_p , was observed at the glass-transition temperature. It was also found that the values of C_p below and above the glass-transition temperature, C_pg and C_pe , respectively, are highly composition dependent. This indicates that the Sb additive used in the present study influences the structure of the a-Se. The variation of C_p reveals local extrema in the Se–Sb glassy system at x = 4 and x = 8. The composition dependence of both C_pe and C_pg is explained in terms of the atomic structure.     

Optical properties of polyvinyl alcohol doped (Se80Te20)100–xAgx (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) composites

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) doped (Se₈₀Te₂₀)_100–xAg_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) thin films were prepared by the spin-coating technique on a quartz substrate. The optical parameters of PVA-doped (Se₈₀Te₂₀)_100–xAg_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) composites at the same chalcogen concentration (S₀ = 0.1 mg ml^?1) and PVA/(Se₈₀Te₂₀)₉₆Ag₄ composites at three different chalcogen concentrations viz. S₁ = 0.3 mg ml^?1, S₂ = 0.6 mg ml^?1 and S₃ = 1 mg ml^?1 have been studied. The semi-crystalline nature of the as-deposited thin filmsisdetermined by X-ray diffraction. The transmission and reflection spectra of PVA-doped Se–Te–Ag thin films were obtained in a 350–650 nm spectral region. The optical-band gap has been calculated from the transmission and reflection data. The refractive index has been calculated by the measured reflection data. It has been found that the optical-band gap increases, but the refractive index, extinction coefficient, and the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant decrease, with increase in Agcontent in PVA-doped (Se₈₀Te₂₀)_100–xAg_x (0 ≤ x ≤ 4) thin films. Such type of behavior is explained on the basis of decrease in density of the defect states. However, the optical-band gap has been found to be decreased and all other optical parameters show increase in their values with increase in concentration of (Se₈₀Te₂₀)₉₆Ag₄ glass in PVA-doped composites. The results have been explained on the basis of cluster-size formation at the time of dissolution. This study shows that the optical properties of new composites are affected by the change in silver and chalcogen concentration.     

Syntheses, structures, and magnetic and optical properties of the compounds [Hg3Te2][UCl6] and [Hg4As2][UCl6]

Two new quaternary salts, [Hg₃Te₂][UCl₆] and [Hg₄As₂][UCl₆], have been synthesized and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. [Hg₃Te₂][UCl₆] is the product of a reaction involving UCl₄, HgCl₂, and HgTe at 873 K. The compound crystallizes in space group P2₁/c of the monoclinic system. [Hg₄As₂][UCl₆] results from the reaction of U, Hg₂Cl₂, and As at 788 K. It crystallizes in space group Pbca of the orthorhombic system. [Hg₃Te₂][UCl₆] has a two-dimensional framework of layers, whereas [Hg₄As₂][UCl₆] has a three-dimensional framework of layers interconnected by Hg atoms linearly bonded to As atoms. Both framework structures contain discrete [UCl₆]²⁻ anions between the layers. [Hg₃Te₂][UCl₆] exhibits temperature-independent paramagnetism. The optical absorption spectra of these compounds display f-f transitions.