Glass formation, thermal stability and fragility minimum in Ge-Te-Se glasses

Tellurium based chalcogenide glasses are known to transmit IR light over a wide wavelength range but are difficult glass formers. For practical applications, the glass should have high glass forming ability and high thermal stability. GexTeySe(100-x-y) glasses with x between 10 and 40 have been prepared by melt quenching method. The chosen compositions are found to have excellent glass forming ability with high thermal stability. Glass transition temperature shows an increasing trend indicating a continuous polymerization of the network. The fragility index varies between 20 and 35 indicating that the melts of these glasses are strong and the fragility is minimum. The structural, thermal, optical properties are mainly dictated by the Ge/Se ratio and the concentration of Te. The high glass forming ability and high thermal stability of these glasses may be useful for many applications particularly for making IR lenses and optical fibres.

Automated summary

Tellurium based chalcogenide glasses with high glass forming ability and thermal stability are suitable for the production of infrared lenses and optical fibers.