Fluoride glass

[1] Thus, the goal for heavy metal fluoride glasses (HMFG) is to create ultra-low loss optical fiber communication systems for commercial and defense applications as well as bulk components that can be used in invasive medical treatment.

[3] Fluoride fiber's optical properties can be determined by the intrinsic and extrinsic sources of loss.

[4] Since glass is an amorphous solid and has minor variations in density across a fiber, Rayleigh scattering occurs and energy dissipates.

This is important specifically in glass because neighboring ions vibrating against each other in phase can cause multiphonon scattering to occur.

Since fluoride glasses have heavier ions than their silica counterpart, there are lower vibration frequencies that correspond to a longer infrared absorption edge.

Crystallite scattering results from the directional ordering of a set of atoms that reflect and absorb wavelengths of energy differently.

These materials' main technological application is as optical waveguides in planar and fiber form.

[1] The main goal in fluoride glass research and development is an ultra-low loss optical fiber communication system.

Since fluoride glass fibers are transparent in the infrared range, they can transmit wavelengths of energy across a large area.

A secondary goal for fluoride glasses is infrared transmitting optical fibers and bulk components in the medical field.

Fluoride optical fibers may transmit a laser beam into the body during surgery for less invasive procedures.