Photonics Revolution: Russian Scientists Create Unique Tellurite Glass for Medicine and Electronics

Russia - Ekhbary News Agency

Photonics Revolution: Russian Scientists Create Unique Tellurite Glass for Medicine and Electronics

An international team of scientists, led by Russian researchers, has achieved a groundbreaking advance in material science by developing a unique type of tellurite oxychloride glass. This innovative material promises to significantly expand the capabilities of modern photonic technologies, opening new horizons in laser surgery, optical amplifiers, and high-precision industrial systems. The discovery, detailed in the prestigious Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, underscores Russia's growing role in global scientific research and advanced material development.

The research was conducted through a collaboration of leading scientific centers: the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry (IONKh RAS), the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology in Russia, as well as their international partners – the University of Caen-Normandy (France) and the Czech Technical University in Prague. Their combined efforts led to the creation of a new generation of phosphor glasses, based on a complex of lead chloride and tellurium dioxide (PbCl₂-TeO₂). A key innovation was the doping of these glasses with rare-earth ions, such as thulium (Tm3+), erbium (Er3+), and holmium (Ho3+), which imparts them with exceptional optical properties.

The particular value of the developed material lies in its exceptionally high spectrally-luminescent characteristics, which are particularly pronounced in the mid-infrared wavelength range of 2 to 3 micrometers. This range is critically important for a multitude of high-tech applications. In medicine, for instance, lasers operating in this spectrum provide more precise and less invasive surgical interventions, minimizing damage to surrounding tissues. This opens new prospects for ophthalmology, dermatology, and general surgery, where the highest precision is required. In electronics and telecommunications, the new material can become the basis for creating more efficient optical amplifiers, which are the heart of high-speed fiber-optic networks, as well as for developing a new generation of industrial lasers with enhanced capabilities for material processing and manufacturing.

The advantages of tellurite oxychloride glasses over traditional materials, such as silicate and fluoride glasses, are undeniable. They demonstrate significantly higher transparency in the infrared region, which is crucial for efficient laser radiation transmission. Furthermore, their low phonon energy and improved luminescence efficiency, achieved through the addition of halide modifiers, allow for the production of more powerful and stable radiation. These characteristics make them ideal candidates for creating compact and high-performance photonic devices that surpass existing analogues.

However, the path to creating such advanced materials was not straightforward. The field of oxychloride photonic materials had long remained underexplored due partly to fundamental difficulties in their synthesis. The primary problem lay in pyrohydrolysis – the high-temperature decomposition of initial components under the influence of water vapor. This process led to the formation of undesirable residual hydroxyl (OH) groups in the glass structure, which are known to significantly suppress luminescence, rendering the material unsuitable for optical applications. Combating these impurities was a key obstacle to the technology's development.

It was precisely here that the researchers' ingenuity and innovative approach shone through. They succeeded in selecting and optimizing the synthesis conditions using the melt quenching method. This method allowed for the minimization of OH-group formation to unprecedentedly low levels, ensuring the material's purity and optical activity. Achieving such control over the synthesis process was a true breakthrough, opening the possibility for a detailed study of the spectrally-luminescent properties of these glasses. For the first time, scientists were able to comprehensively analyze their characteristics and clearly demonstrate their superiority over oxide and oxyfluoride-based analogues, which possess higher phonon energy, limiting their application in the mid-IR range.

Another significant achievement is that the developed material exhibits a longer lifetime of excited states of rare-earth ions. This property is crucial for the efficiency of optical amplifiers, as it allows for the accumulation of more energy and its release in more powerful and stable pulses. The extended lifetime of excited states places these glasses in the category of highly promising materials for creating the next generation of fiber lasers and amplifiers, which will find applications in the most demanding fields – from scientific research to the defense industry.

Overall, the development of the new tellurite oxychloride glass represents a significant step forward in material science and photonics. It not only resolves long-standing synthesis challenges but also opens doors for the creation of numerous new high-tech devices. Russian science, in cooperation with international partners, once again confirms its high potential in the field of innovation capable of influencing the future of global technologies and improving the quality of life.

Ekhbary News Agency