Fabrication of chalcogenide microstructured optical preforms and fibers by additive manufacturing of chalcogenide glasses

Abstract

In recent years, a growing interest has settled for optical materials and fibers for the mid infrared (mid-IR) region. This interest originates from societal needs for health and environment for instance, and also from demand for defence applications. Indeed, the mid-IR spectral region contains the atmospheric transparent windows (3-5 μm) and (8-12 μm) where thermal imaging (military and civilian) can take place. The elaboration of chalcogenide microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) permits to combine the mid infrared transmission of chalcogenide glasses up to 18 μm to the unique optical properties of MOFs thanks to the high degree of freedom in the design of their geometrical structure. In this context, additive manufacturing of glass materials appears as an attractive technique to achieve more elaborate designs that can hardly be obtain using more common methods such as the stack-and-draw or molding. Taking advantages of the specific physical properties of chalcogenide glasses such as low Tg and extrusion temperature, we have shown that chalcogenide preforms can be rapidly obtained by fused deposition modeling (FDM) using a customized RepRap-style 3D printed fed with chalcogenide glass rods. Such as-prepared preforms can be drawn into chalcogenide optical fibers. Those early-stage results open a new way for the elaboration of chalcogenide MOFs.