Designing Mid-wave Infrared (MWIR) Thermo-optic Coefficient (dn/dT) In Chalcogenide Glasses

Abstract

Seventeen infrared-transmitting GeAsSe chalcogenide glasses were fabricated to determine the role of chemistry and structure on mid-wave infrared (MWIR) optical properties. The refractive index and thermoptic coefficients of samples were measured at λ = 4.515 μm using an IR-modified Metricon prism coupler, located at University of Central Florida. Thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT) values were shown to range from approximately -40 ppm/°C to +65 ppm/°C, and refractive index was shown to vary between approximately 2.5000 and 2.8000. Trends in refractive index and dn/dT were found to be related to the atomic structures present within the glassy network, as opposed to the atomic percentage of any individual constituent. A linear correlation was found between the quantity (n-3·dn/dT) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the glass, suggesting the ability to compositionally design chalcogenide glass compositions with zero dn/dT, regardless of refractive index or dispersion performance. The tunability of these novel glasses offer increased thermal and mechanical stability as compared to the current commercial zero dn/dT options such as AMTIR-5 from Amorphous Materials Inc. For IR imaging systems designed to achieve passive athermalization, utilizing chalcogenide glasses with their tunable ranges of dn/dT (including zero) can be key to addressing system size, weight, and power (SWaP) limitations.

Department(s)

Materials Science and Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Infrared glass; Refractive index; Thermo-optic coefficient

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-151060063-8

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1996-756X; 0277-786X

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2023 Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2016

Link to Full Text

Share

 
COinS