LOW-LOSS OPTICAL FIBERS OF THE TELLURIUM HALIDE-BASED GLASSES, THE TEX GLASSES

The TeX glasses based on the glass-forming ability of the Te-X (X = Cl, Br, I) systems have potential low losses in the 8-12 mum region. Different glass compositions in the Te-Se-I and Te-Se-As-I systems have been chosen for fibre drawing. High purity glasses can be obtained by using special purification techniques. Fibres having a minimum attenuation as low as 0.4 dB/m have been drawn and the losses of these fibres are < 1 dB/m over a wide range of wavelengths. These results have been achieved by decreasing considerably the scattering losses due to defects in the fibres.