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Application of novel chalcogenide glasses based on gallium and lanthanum sulphides in optical fibre devices

Application of novel chalcogenide glasses based on gallium and lanthanum sulphides in optical fibre devices
Application of novel chalcogenide glasses based on gallium and lanthanum sulphides in optical fibre devices
Optical fibres drawn from sulphide-based glasses have been studied now for almost two decades. Initial work began in the 1970s where fibres from glasses based on arsenic sulphide or germanium sulphide rapidly found application as infrared waveguides, providing transmission to beyond 5 microns. In the early 1990s, the demonstration of an optical fibre amplifier for the 1300 nm telecommunications window, motivated again the application of non-silica optical fibres. First, a fluoride fibre device showed amplification with pump efficiencies of only a few percent. In 1993, the first active application of a sulphide glass was demonstrated and measurements on bulk samples of rare-earth doped gallium lanthanum glass showed the possibility of pump efficiencies of over 60%. This lead to a widespread activity to demonstrate a low-loss sulphide glass optical fibre and an 1300 nm optical fibre amplifier. Since that time, research into gallium lanthanum glass and fibre has expanded into several new areas. In this paper, research work at the ORC on sulphide fibres for active applications will be described. Recent progress, including the 1.3 micron amplifier, photonic switching and work extending into the infrared will be reported.
Our work is critically depend on the achievement of a low loss single-mode optical fibre. Over the past year, significant improvements have been made in understanding and eliminating the sources of loss in these glasses. The current status of fibre drawing work will be outlined and, together with our spectroscopy and device work, the prospects for a future generation of sulphide-fibre based devices examined.
Hewak, D.W.
87c80070-c101-4f7a-914f-4cc3131e3db0
Brady, D.
55287452-1736-45f0-b6b7-64394df3258d
Schweizer, T.
1b183bb4-c89d-42bf-81e0-b2e2b9af2635
Wang, J.
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Hector, J.
d44ba9ba-6521-4725-8fd0-78e616585cb9
Haythornthwaite, C.R.
c1f6f0bf-43e3-4408-b891-7caffc275e5c
Brocklesby, W.S.
c53ca2f6-db65-4e19-ad00-eebeb2e6de67
Payne, D.N.
4f592b24-707f-456e-b2c6-8a6f750e296d
Hewak, D.W.
87c80070-c101-4f7a-914f-4cc3131e3db0
Brady, D.
55287452-1736-45f0-b6b7-64394df3258d
Schweizer, T.
1b183bb4-c89d-42bf-81e0-b2e2b9af2635
Wang, J.
53d8d8bd-3c17-406e-9acf-961cc86b9a00
Hector, J.
d44ba9ba-6521-4725-8fd0-78e616585cb9
Haythornthwaite, C.R.
c1f6f0bf-43e3-4408-b891-7caffc275e5c
Brocklesby, W.S.
c53ca2f6-db65-4e19-ad00-eebeb2e6de67
Payne, D.N.
4f592b24-707f-456e-b2c6-8a6f750e296d

Hewak, D.W., Brady, D., Schweizer, T., Wang, J., Hector, J., Haythornthwaite, C.R., Brocklesby, W.S. and Payne, D.N. (1998) Application of novel chalcogenide glasses based on gallium and lanthanum sulphides in optical fibre devices. International Congress on Glass, San Francisco, United States. 06 - 08 Jul 1998.

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Optical fibres drawn from sulphide-based glasses have been studied now for almost two decades. Initial work began in the 1970s where fibres from glasses based on arsenic sulphide or germanium sulphide rapidly found application as infrared waveguides, providing transmission to beyond 5 microns. In the early 1990s, the demonstration of an optical fibre amplifier for the 1300 nm telecommunications window, motivated again the application of non-silica optical fibres. First, a fluoride fibre device showed amplification with pump efficiencies of only a few percent. In 1993, the first active application of a sulphide glass was demonstrated and measurements on bulk samples of rare-earth doped gallium lanthanum glass showed the possibility of pump efficiencies of over 60%. This lead to a widespread activity to demonstrate a low-loss sulphide glass optical fibre and an 1300 nm optical fibre amplifier. Since that time, research into gallium lanthanum glass and fibre has expanded into several new areas. In this paper, research work at the ORC on sulphide fibres for active applications will be described. Recent progress, including the 1.3 micron amplifier, photonic switching and work extending into the infrared will be reported.
Our work is critically depend on the achievement of a low loss single-mode optical fibre. Over the past year, significant improvements have been made in understanding and eliminating the sources of loss in these glasses. The current status of fibre drawing work will be outlined and, together with our spectroscopy and device work, the prospects for a future generation of sulphide-fibre based devices examined.

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More information

Published date: July 1998
Venue - Dates: International Congress on Glass, San Francisco, United States, 1998-07-06 - 1998-07-08

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 76631
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/76631
PURE UUID: fab0808e-04d2-469f-ae69-8e34888dc173
ORCID for D.W. Hewak: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2093-5773
ORCID for W.S. Brocklesby: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-2123-6712

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Mar 2010
Last modified: 11 Dec 2021 02:59

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Contributors

Author: D.W. Hewak ORCID iD
Author: D. Brady
Author: T. Schweizer
Author: J. Wang
Author: J. Hector
Author: C.R. Haythornthwaite
Author: W.S. Brocklesby ORCID iD
Author: D.N. Payne

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