Optical and Dielectric Properties of Chalcogenide Glasses at Terahertz Frequencies

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy has been used to study the optical and dielectric properties of three chalcogenide glasses: $Ge_{30}As_8Ga_2Se_{60}$, $Ge_{35}Ga_5Se_{60}$, and $Ge_{10}As_{20}S_{70}$. The absorption coefficients ${\alpha}({\nu})$, complex refractive index n(${\nu}$), and complex dielectric constants ${\varepsilon}({\nu})$ were measured in a frequency range from 0.3 THz to 1.5 THz. The measured real refractive indices were fitted using a Sellmeier equation. The results show that the Sellmeier equation fits well with the data throughout the frequency range and imply that the phonon modes of glasses vary with the glass compositions. The theory of far-infrared absorption in amorphous materials is used to analyze the results and to understand the differences in THz absorption among the sample glasses.