Journal of Advanced Dielectrics· 2026Q2· Review
From Mid-Infrared Luminescence to Laser Gain in Chalcogenide Glasses and Glass-Ceramics
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- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics show promise as gain media for mid-infrared (2-6 μm) lasers, with recent progress in rare-earth and transition-metal doping enabling demonstrations across various platforms.
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Key points
- Chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics are suitable for mid-infrared (2-6 μm) lasers due to broad transparency and low phonon energy.
- Rare-earth doped glasses and fibers, particularly with Tb³⁺, Ce³⁺, and Pr³⁺, have demonstrated MIR laser operation.
- In glass-ceramics, dopant distribution between nanocrystals and interfaces impacts spectroscopic performance.
- Transition-metal doped systems (Cr²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺, Ni²⁺) are reviewed, with attention to crystal-field engineering and optical loss from crystallization.
- Various laser platforms (bulk, fiber, waveguide, microcavity) are evaluated for their gain-loss characteristics.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Mid-infrared (MIR) lasers operating in the 2–6 μm region are important for spectroscopy, sensing, communications, medicine, lidar, and electro-optical applications. Chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics are attractive MIR gain-media candidates because of their broad infrared transparency and low-phonon-energy hosts. This review focuses on recent progress in chalcogenide glasses and glass-ceramics toward practical MIR laser operation. Rare-earth-doped glasses and fibers are discussed from early MIR emission studies to recent Tb 3+ -, Ce 3+ -, and Pr 3+ -based laser demonstrations, with particular attention to low-loss fibers. For rare-earth-doped glass-ceramics, dopant partitioning among nanocrystals, and glass-crystal interfaces is examined as a key factor governing spectroscopic performance. Transition-metal-doped systems, including Cr 2+ -, Co 2+ -, Fe 2+ -, and Ni 2+ -activated materials, are reviewed with emphasis on crystal-field engineering and crystallization-induced optical loss. Bulk, fiber, waveguide, and microcavity platforms are further compared in terms of gain-loss balance and their suitability for practical MIR laser operation.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Advanced Dielectrics, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Ceramics and Composites
Ceramics and CompositesMaterials Science