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pdf CLEO:2015 © OSA 2015

Multimaterial Chalcogenide Fibers and Devices for the Mid-IR

Ayman F. Abouraddy
CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA

Abstract: Chalcogenide glass fibers offer a fruitful playground for mid-infrared nonlinear optics
but are hampered by mechanical fragility and high chromatic dispersion. I review recent efforts on
novel of chalcogenide fibers that address these perennial issues.
OCIS codes: (060.2310) Fiber optics; (190.4370) Nonlinear optics, fibers; (160.2750) Glass and other amorphous
materials

A multiplicity of recent developments in optical technologies has led to increased access to mid-infrared (MIR)
wavelengths driven by multiple opportunities in novel applications. Indeed, there is currently broad interest in
extending optical technologies beyond the traditional comfort zones in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths
into the less-explored realms of the MIR. One may even consider the MIR to be the next frontier for the optics and
photonics community, where unexplored territory awaits to be reclaimed.
Specifically, the development of quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) span MIR wavelengths now provides an accessible
MIR source. Nevertheless, to fully exploit these advances a full suite of MIR optical components must be
developed. Paramount amongst these are MIR fibers capable of transmitting light in the 2 ‒ 12 micron range. Since
silicate glasses are not appropriate for this wavelength regime, despite their resounding success in the visible and
near-infrared, a variety of soft glasses have been exploited in fabricating MIR fibers [1]. Chalcogenide glasses offer
a host of advantages that make them attractive candidates for MIR fibers. Chalcogenide glasses have the broadest
transparency window in the MIR of all glasses, a variety of compositions may be stably drawn in to fibers, and they
have some of the highest reported nonlinear optical coefficients amongst glasses (two to three orders-of-magnitude
larger than silica glass for some standard compositions).
Unfortunately, some perennial drawbacks of chalcogenide glasses have hampered their adoption in MIR fibers. The
fragility of chalcogenides leads to bare fibers lacking robustness and are thus difficult to handle and taper.
Furthermore, the large chromatic dispersion of chalcogenide glasses is a drawback for nonlinear optics based on
ultrafast pulses.
In this talk I will review the burgeoning field of multimaterial chalcogenide fibers [1,2], where a variety of
innovative approaches have been pursued to overcome their perennial obstacles. I will focus on some of the recent
achievements in my research group where we have developed several strategies to combine thermoplastic polymers
with chalcogenide glasses at the preform stage. Within this overall approach, a macroscopic preform is prepared –
typically through extrusion – in which these two distinct families of materials are combined, resulting in continuous
drawing of robust chalcogenide fibers with flexible control over the dimensions of the core and cladding and their
refractive index contrast [3]. Furthermore, we have applied this approach to tellurium-based chalcogenides that offer
a transparency window that covers the entire QCL spectral range [4] while requiring a minimal quantity of glass per
fabricated preform to enable rapid prototyping [5]. The robustness of such fibers has enables us to produce tapers
with sub-micron diameter cores. We have explored the use of such fibers and nano-tapers in infrared
supercontinuum generation [6] while exercising control over the fiber dispersion [7] and using strong confinement
effects (through large core/cladding index contrast) to enhance the optical nonlinearity [8].
References
1. G. Tao, H. Ebendorff-Heidepriem, A. M. Stolyarov, S. Danto, J. V. Badding, Y. Fink, J. Ballato, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Infrared fibers,” Adv.
Opt. Photon., in press (2015).
2. G. Tao, A. M. Stolyarov, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Multimaterial fibers,” I. J. Appl. Glass Science 3, 349-368 (2012).
3. G. Tao, S. Shabahang, E.-H. Banaei, J. J. Kaufman, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Multimaterial preform coextrusion for robust chalcogenide optical
fibers and tapers,” Opt. Lett. 37, 2751-2753 (2012).
4. G. Tao, S. Shabahang, H. Ren, F. Khalilzadeh-Rezaie, R. E. Peale, Z. Yang, X. Wang, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Robust multimaterial tellurium-
based chalcogenide glass fibers for mid-wave and long-wave infrared transmission,” Opt. Lett. 39, 4009-4012 (2014).
5. G. Tao, S. Shabahang, S. Dai, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Multimaterial disc-to-fiber approach to efficiently produce robust infrared fibers,” Opt.
Mat. Express 4, 2143-2149 (2014).
6. S. Shabahang, M. P. Marquez, G. Tao, J. J. Kaufman, M. U. Piracha, D. Nguyen, P. J. Delfyett, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Octave-spanning
infrared supercontinuum generation in robust chalcogenide fiber nanotapers using picosecond pulses,” Opt. Lett. 37, 4639-4641 (2012).
7. S. Shabahang, G. Tao, J. J. Kaufman, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Dispersion characterization of chalcogenide bulk glass, composite fibers, and
robust nanotapers,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 30, 2498-2506 (2013).
8. S. Shabahang, G. Tao, M. P. Marquez, H. Hu, T. R. Ensley, P. J. Delfyett, and A. F. Abouraddy, “Nonlinear characterization of robust
multimaterial chalcogenide nanotapers for infrared supercontinuum generation,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 31, 450-457 (2014).