Silver halide optical fibers for medical applications

Glass formation in the Te-enriched part of the quaternary Ge–As–Se–Te system and its implication for mid-infrared optical fibres

“…Recent interest in mid-infrared transparent fibres for applications such as fibreoptic spectroscopic sensing including remote sensing, photonic bandgap devices, IR imaging, optical power transmission, near-field microscopy and acoustooptic devices demands development of IR-transparent glasses which have sufficient glass stability to be fibre drawn without devitrification occurring [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. It is acknowledged in the literature that chalcogenide glass optical fibres are good candidates for these applications; in fact As 2 S 3 multimode optical fibres and fibre bundles (see e.g.…”

“…These problems lead to a relatively high cost for As 2 S 3 optical fibre. The minimum optical transmission loss of As 2 S 3 fibre to date is 23 dB km À1 at a wavelength of 2.3 lm [20]; many of the applications mentioned above require good transmission at longer wavelengths [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

“…The large refractive index of these glasses, 3.0-3.5, in the mid-IR, is favourable for near-field microscopy and acousto-optic applications. The wider IR-transparency window is particularly important as it will facilitate spectroscopic detection of a wider variety of gases and other chemicals with fundamental absorption bands in the mid-IR [5,[8][9][10]. Previous papers [5,9] dealing with the GAST chalcogenide glass system for mid-IR optical fibres reported an acceptable optical fibre loss from 3 to 9 lm and a minimum loss of 0.8 dB m À1 at about 8-9 lm.…”

Middle infrared luminescence of Tb3+ in silver halide crystals and fibers

“…Doped silver halides can therefore be attractive candidates for fiber lasers or solid-state lasers that operate in the Mid-IR at room temperature, The properties of silver halide crystals and fibers made of AgCl x Br 1Àx (0oxo1) have been studied for many years by the Applied Physics Group in Tel-Aviv University. These materials are highly transparent in the Near-and Mid-IR range, they are non-hygroscopic and non-toxic, and optical fibers produced by extrusion methods have desirable mechanical properties [10][11][12]. The silver halide crystals may therefore serve as practical hosts for Mid-IR solidstate bulk lasers and fiber lasers.…”

Middle-infrared luminescence of Nd ions in silver halide crystals

“…The properties of silver halide crystals and of fibers extruded from these crystals have been under active study by the Applied Physics Group at Tel-Aviv University. Both crystals and fibers are highly transparent in the near and mid-IR ranges, they are non-toxic and non-hygroscopic, and the fibers are flexible and have desirable mechanical properties [11,12]. The silver-halide crystals may, therefore, serve as practical hosts for mid-IR solid-state lasers.…”