Infrared Transmitting Glass Ceramics for Passive and Active Applications

Glass-ceramics transparent above $10\;{\mu}m$ in the infrared, have been synthesized. They are based on germanium and antimony sulphides or selenides associated to alkali halides. They are prepared by heating glass samples at temperatures above the glass transition, as a function of time. Ceramisation can be controlled, so that sub-100 nm crystals are generated in the glass matrix. Then, low light scattering is achieved and the transparency window of the original glass is maintained. When gallium sulphide is added, glass ceramics can be doped with rare-earth ions. Emissions from the $^4F_{3/2}$ and $^4I_{13/2}$ of $Nd^{3+}$ and $Er^{3+}$ ions, respectively, are more intense in glass-ceramics, as compared to their vitreous counterpart. Examination of band profiles and decaytimes show that rare-earth ions are embedded in both crystalline and glassy environments.