Search

Infrared gradient refractive index (GRIN) lenses have great application value and potential in multispectral imaging systems. This study reports various chalcogenide axial GRIN glasses prepared using the hot‐pressing diffusion method. It is worth noting that the S4–S60 GRIN sample has a difference in refractive index (RI) Δn of greater than 0.3 and a diffusion depth of about 5 mm, which is the deepest diffusion depth reported in chalcogenide glass to date. In addition, the linear portion in the profile of the GRIN sample has a RI difference of 0.15 and a thickness of 1.2 mm. The effects of the temperature, concentration difference, and diffusion time on the sample diffusion process are discussed. The dispersion properties of the GRIN samples were further calculated, providing a new option for correcting chromatic aberrations in optical systems. In addition, a method for the indirect nondestructive characterization of sample RI using the Raman intensity ratio is proposed, and the reliability of the method is verified by practical experiments, which is convenient for the subsequent measurement of the GRIN profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid‐infrared (MIR) band supercontinuum (SC) light source has highly important application prospects in aerospace, biomedicine, MIR sensing, and pollutant monitoring. As–Se–Te glass has high nonlinear refractive index, wide MIR transmission range and weak crystallization ability. As40Se40Te20 glass fiber is suitable for producing wide MIR–SC spectrum. In this study, purified As40Se40Te20 glass was prepared and unclad and step‐index fibers were drawn. An unclad As40Se40Te20 glass fiber with minimum loss of 1.7 dB/m at 8.8 μm was obtained. By pumping the unclad fiber in the normal dispersion region at 5 μm, we recorded the broadest SC generation spectrum, which covered 1.8–13 μm with a 30 dB spectral flatness, from a fiber with 15 cm length. Besides, As40Se40Te20/As40Se42Te18 step‐index fiber with minimum loss of 5.6 dB/m at 5 μm was drawn from isolation extruded preform. The step‐index fiber was pumped in the normal dispersion region at 5 μm, and the SC spectrum, covering 2.1–11.2 μm with a 40 dB spectral flatness, was recorded from a fiber with 15 cm length. The SC spectrum, which was achieved by pumping the As40Se40Te20 fiber, covered almost all the transparent range of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High nonlinear fibers with low zero‐dispersion wavelength (ZDW), high laser power tolerance and large band‐gap are urgent for all‐optical‐band supercontinuum (SC) generations. Widely used chalcogenide fibers usually have a large ZDW and low laser power tolerance, and thus are not ideal for such purpose. Here, an ultra‐low material ZDW chalcohalide (ChH) glass fiber with high nonlinearity as well as high laser power tolerance has been fabricated successfully via a novel peeling‐off‐extrusion method. The step‐index fiber has double‐cladding structure, the inner cladding is GeGaSe‐CsI glass and the outer one is GeSbS jacket. The core glass has an ultra‐low material ZDW of 3.5 μm and large absorption edge of 2.0 eV. The nonlinear refractive index is 6.67 × 10−18 m2/W @1.55 μm. Broadband SC generation covering 1.05‐13.0 μm is demonstrated in this novel ChH fiber. Such glass fiber with high nonlinearity, wide transparent range, low ZDW and high laser damage threshold is promising for the applications in the mid‐infrared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]