Mid-Infared sources based on rare-earth-doped chalcogenide glass waveguides
Résumé
Vitreous materials based on chalcogen elements (S, Se, Te) show large transparency windows that extend from the visible up to 12-15 µm in the infrared, depending on their compositions. This is due to the lower phonon energies of chalcogenides, which are also responsible for enhanced luminescence of rare-earth ions embedded in such matrices. As a result, they possess a high potential for applications as infrared sources, where rare-earth-doped oxide glasses cannot operate. As far as shaping is concerned, specific chalcogenide glass compositions can be obtained in the form of optical fibers, thin films or planar waveguides. The presentation deals with the latest results in terms of mid-infrared luminescence of Pr3+, Nd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, and Er3+ ions in chalcogenide glasses, optical fibers, and micro-waveguides.