Optical properties and applications of chalcogenide glasses: a review

A review of some properties of chalcogenide glasses and the current status of their applications is given. Techniques to characterize the linear and non-linear properties of these glasses are introduced and used to measure the optical constants of chalcogenide glasses in the form of bulk, thin film and fiber. Different techniques for the fabrication of gratings and waveguides in these glasses are described. Achievable efficiencies of gratings, as well as propagation losses of fabricated waveguides, are presented. The possibilities of fabricating active devices, such as fiber amplifiers and lasers, are presented. Finally, a novel application of chalcogenide glasses, namely all-optical switching for the fabrication of efficient femtosecond switches, is introduced. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.