Special glasses and fibres for infrared applications

Sponsor: Czech Science Foundation

Principal investigator: Dimitrij Ležal, DSc.

Co-principal investigator: Jiří Zavadil, Ph.D.

Members: Prof. Petar Gladkov, Ph.D.; Miloš Hayer, Ph.D.; Vlastimil Matějec, Ph.D.; Olga Procházková, Ph.D.

From: 2005-01-01

To: 2007-12-31

The project was concerned with the preparation of special glass systems, characterized by low phonon energy, and with drawing of optical fibres that effectively transmit radiation in the infrared spectral range. The work was concentrated on the preparation of chalcogenide and heavy metal oxide glasses characterized by high chemical purity and low concentration of defects and doping of these systems by rare-earths elements. The core of the project was aimed to improve our understanding of glass-constitution and of physical properties of chalcogenide and particularly oxihalide glasses in the systems TeO₂-Sb₂O₃-PbCl₂ and TeO₂-PbO-PbCl₂. Important research focus has been the search for suitable combination of host-glass and rare earth doping element. The major goal was to optimize the procedure of synthesis of homogeneous glasses, their characterization and investigation of optical properties. Homogeneous glass samples were used to measure transmission in the visible and infrared region of spectra, reflection spectra, particularly for low wave numbers, in order to understand vibrations of inter-atomic bonds that determine the glass network. Samples were further characterised in detail by low-temperature photoluminescence and Raman spectroscopy. Special attention has been devoted to the drawing of fibers from prepared performs and their characterisation.