The influence of reactive atmosphere processing on the crystallization kinetics of GaF₃/InF₃-based glasses

Gallium-indium fluoride based glasses are known as one of the lowest phonon energy hosts for Pr-ions. However, to date the fabrication of low background loss fibres have been proved difficult. In the present investigation, GaF3/InF3 based glasses are prepared under the controlled reactive atmosphere of SF6, HF and N2 gas mixture. The devitrification characteristics for different reactive-atmosphere (RA) treatment have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry. From the isothermal data, the time-temperature-transformation curves have been constructed and on this basis, the improvement in glass stability is discussed. Measured fibre loss results from glasses prepared under RAP are also discussed in the context of impurities present in the melt

The influence of reactive atmosphere processing on the crystallisation kinetics of GaF₃/InF₃ based glasses

Gallium-indium fluoride based glasses are one of the lowest phonon energy hosts for Pr-ion doped fibre amplifiers. However, to date the fabrication of low background loss fibres have been proved difficult. In the present investigation, GaF3/InF3 based glasses are prepared under the controlled reactive atmosphere of SF6, HF and N2 gas mixture. The devitrification characteristics of glass samples prepared in a range of reactive-atmospheres (RA) have been studied using differential scanning calorimetry. From the isothermal data, the time-temperature-transformation curves have been compared for various reactive-atmosphere processing (RAP) conditions and, the influence of RAP conditions on the glass stability is discussed. Loss in multimode fibres (similar to 135 µm) drawn from the glass rods processed under RAP conditions are compared as a function of processing conditions. The measured loss values are reported in 0.5 to 2.0 µm wavelength regime

The application of Ga:La:S-based glass for optical amplification at 1.3µm

The optical properties of praseodymium-doped low-phonon-energy glasses have recently attracted considerable attention for their potential application as a 1.3 µm Pr3+-doped optical fibre amplifier. Sulphide glasses based on Ga2S3 and La2S3 are amongst the lowest-phonon-energy glasses which are suitable for this application, with quantum efficiencies exceeding 50% currently measured on bulk samples in the laboratory. The purpose of this paper is to describe the thermal, optical and spectroscopic properties of Pr3+-doped sulphide-based glasses, present the results of amplifier modelling using the measured cross-sections, and report the progress to date in achievement of a Pr3+-doped sulphide-based fibre