Mid Infrared Fluoride And Chalcogenide Glasses And Fibers

This book gives an overview on mid-infrared optical glass and fibers laser, it cover the underlying principle, historic background, as well as recent advances in materials processing and enhanced properties for rare earth doped luminescence, spectroscopy lasers, or optical nonlinearity applications. It describes in great detail, the preparation of high purity non-oxide IR glass and fibers to be used as mid-IR fiber laser and supercontinuum sources for optical fiber spectroscopy. It will be useful for academics, researchers and engineers in various disciplines who require a broad introduction to the subject and would like to learn more about the state-of-the-art and upcoming trends in mid-infrared fiber source development, particularly for industrial, medical and military applications.

Mid-Infrared Fibre Photonics: Glass Materials, Fibre Fabrication and Processing, Laser Sources and Devicess combines the latest glass chemistry, fibre fabrication and post processing techniques to provide a comprehensive reference on the fundamental science and latest research in fibre photonics for the mid-infrared range. The book systematically reviews the key glass materials systems including fluorides, chalcogenides, and oxides. Each materials chapter includes discussion of composition, structure, thermal, optical and mechanical properties, extrinsic and intrinsic loss mechanisms, materials preparation and purification techniques. Then Mid-Infrared Fibre Photonics: Glass Materials, Fibre Fabrication and Processing, Laser Sources and Devicess covers the most relevant fabrication, post-processing, and spectroscopy techniques. Fibre sources are also addressed including fibre sources for continuous wave emission, pulsed emission, and broadband emission. The book concludes with a brief overview of important medical, sensing and defence applications. Systematic coverage of the most relevant materials for mid-infrared fibre photonics including discussion of composition, structure, thermal, optical and mechanical properties, loss mechanisms, materials preparation and purification techniques Reviews the key fabrication and processing techniques of mid-infrared fibre technologies Addresses the important medical, sensing and defence applications

In the past 10 years, there have been many developments in the field of infrared transmitting fiber optics. This is highlighted by the many different fiber compositions that have been studied around the world for numerous practical applications. This book reviews different fiber systems, describing material properties, techniques used to prepare the fibers and fiber properties with particular emphasis on optical properties. These fibers possess unique optical, mechanical, and physical properties, enabling many technologies. Examples of applications are described within given chapters, allowing an engineer or scientist to choose the most appropriate fiber for a desired application. The introduction gives the reader an overview of transmission theory so that the basic concepts are clearly understood by someone new to the field. The next several chapters describe the different types of infrared transmitting fibers, including glass fibers such as those based on silica, fluoride, and chalcogenide glasses; the crystalline fibers based on single or polycrystalline materials; and hollow waveguides. The commercial chemical sensing applications of some of these new fibers are described. The final chapter summarizes the properties of the fibers and highlights future prospects.

The field of heavy metal halide glasses (namely fluorides) is only ten years old now, but it has developed rapidly since the discovery of fluorozirconate glasses by the group at the University of Rennes (France). The main reason for this was the early demonstration of the enormous potential of such glasses for use as long-haul ultra-low loss middle infrared waveguide materials, aided in part by the scientific interest held by their unusual short range structures. As a result, significant research efforts were initiated in the academic, government and industrial sectors in Europe, the United States and Japan. However, the search for a finished product has per haps led to a partial overlooking of some of the more funda mental aspects by the scientific community. After the initial excitement, the workers in this field are perhaps at a crossroads where attenuations lower than 1 dB/Km need to be obtained for long lengths of fiber of good chemical and thermal stability, in order to guarantee continual R&D sUE ports. Therefore, there is a strong need for a critical asses sment of the potential of halide glasses for infrared fiber optics and the formulation of recommendations for future re search in this area and other related fields.

As an expert in the field with nearly 30 years' experience, Harrington provides complete and up-to-date coverage of infrared fiber technology. Readers are given in-depth facts about the three key types of IR fibers, including how they developed and how they work. What sets this book apart is its comprehensive look at current and future applications, such as IR fiber amplifiers and photonic bandgap fibers, as well as fabrication techniques. Scientists, engineers, and business people will learn about their myriad uses and possible uses in telecommunications, medicine and surgery, and sensors, among others.

One of the most exciting prospects for optical fibres made from fluoride glasses is the possibility of providing long distance optical communication systems without the need for repeaters. This objective has stimulated much of the work into fluoride glasses over the past ten years, and has prompted the writing of this book. It has also emerged that fluoride fibres can transmit both visible and infrared energy (from about 0.5 to 5 ,urn) and that they have many applications outside the field of telecommunications. These include optical fibre sensors (particularly in remote infrared spectroscopy), laser surgery and fibre lasers. Several companies are now established in the field, and good quality fluoride fibres are available from sources throughout the USA, Europe and Japan. Moreover, the first commercial instruments based on fluoride fibres are finding their way to the market place and these fibres will undoubtedly form the basis of many more instruments yet to be developed. The work presented in this book represents the field both from an academic understanding of the materials and ways to convert them into fibre, and from a practical and commercial viewpoint. The principal author and some of the co authors are based at the British Telecom Research Laboratories in the UK.

A comprehensive and up-to-date encyclopedia to the fabrication, nature, properties, uses, and history of glass The Encyclopedia of Glass Science, Technology, History, and Culture has been designed to satisfy the needs and curiosity of a broad audience interested in the most varied aspects of material that is as old as the universe. As described in over 100 chapters and illustrated with 1100 figures, the practical importance of glass has increased over the ages since it was first man-made four millennia ago. The old-age glass vessels and window and stained glass now coexist with new high-tech products that include for example optical fibers, thin films, metallic, bioactive and hybrid organic-inorganic glasses, amorphous ices or all-solid-state batteries. In the form of scholarly introductions, the Encyclopedia chapters have been written by 151 noted experts working in 23 countries. They present at a consistent level and in a self-consistent manner these industrial, technological, scientific, historical and cultural aspects. Addressing the most recent fundamental advances in glass science and technology, as well as rapidly developing topics such as extra-terrestrial or biogenic glasses, this important guide: Begins with industrial glassmaking Turns to glass structure and to physical, transport and chemical properties Deals with interactions with light, inorganic glass families and organically related glasses Considers a variety of environmental and energy issues And concludes with a long section on the history of glass as a material from Prehistory to modern glass science The Encyclopedia of Glass Science, Technology, History, and Culture has been written not only for glass scientists and engineers in academia and industry, but also for material scientists as well as for art and industry historians. It represents a must-have, comprehensive guide to the myriad aspects this truly outstanding state of matter.