THEORETICAL LIMITS OF LOW OPTIC LOSS IN MULTICOMPONENT HALIDE GLASS MATERIALS

Author has set out a scheme whereby the minimum optic window attenuation alpha //m//i//n (in dB/km) and its associated wavelength lambda //m//i//n (in mu m) can be estimated for any multicomponent halide glass. Specific numerical results have been given for glasses based on BeF//2, CdF//2, AlF//2, ZrF//4, HfF//4, ThF//4, CdCl//2, BiCl//3, ThCl//4 and CdI//2. Concentration fluctuations on the scale of lambda //m//i//n are assumed to be absent thereby allowing for a neglect of concentration fluctuation scattering. In general an ultimate minimum attenuation is found for multicomponent halide glasses in the range 0. 0015-0. 0020 dB/km. 62 Refs.