TeO2-ZnO-La2O3 tellurite glass system investigation for mid-infrared robust optical fibers manufacturing

Abstract TeO2-ZnO-La2O3 (TZL) ternary glasses were investigated in order to manufacture step-index optical fibers with low optical losses in the near- and mid-infrared ranges and superior mechanical properties. To identify appropriate TZL glass compositions for optical fibers manufacturing, the whole vitreous domain of the ternary diagram was explored by characterizing bulk samples from thermal and optical point of view. Investigations were focused on understanding how the refractive index evolves as a function of the composition. For this, several parameters were analyzed such as density, molar volume, oxygen packing density, molar refractivity, polarizability and optical basicity. Finally…