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Title: Measurement of chalcogenide glass optical dispersion using a mid-infrared prism coupler

Conference ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1117/12.884320· OSTI ID:1043139

Physical properties of chalcogenide glass, including broadband infrared transparency, high refractive index, low glass transition temperature, and nonlinear properties, make them attractive candidates for advanced mid-infrared (3 to 12 {micro}m) optical designs. Efforts focused at developing new chalcogenide glass formulations and processing methods require rapid quantitative evaluation of their optical contents to guide the materials research. However, characterization of important optical parameters such as optical dispersion remains a slow and costly process, generally with limited accuracy. The recent development of a prism coupler at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) now enables rapid, high precision measurement of refractive indices at discrete wavelengths from the visible to the mid-infrared. Optical dispersion data of several chalcogenide glass families were collected using this method. Variations in the optical dispersion were correlated to glass composition and compared against measurements using other methods. While this work has been focused on facilitating chalcogenide glass synthesis, mid-infrared prism coupler analysis has broader applications to other mid-infrared optical material development efforts, including oxide glasses and crystalline materials.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1043139
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-79272; TRN: US201213%%105
Resource Relation:
Conference: Proceedings of the SPIE: Window and Dome Technologies and Materials XII, April 27, 2011, Orlando, Florida, 8016:Article No. 80160F
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English