Processing and characterization of new passive and active oxysulfide glasses in the Ge–Ga–Sb–S–O system

New passive and active oxysulfide glasses have been prepared in the Ge–Ga–Sb–S–O system employing a two-step melting process which involves the processing of the chalcogenide glass (ChG) and its subsequent melting with amorphous GeO 2 or Sb 2O 3 powder. Optical characterization of the oxysulfide glasses has shown that the UV cut-off wavelength decreases with increasing oxygen content. Using Raman spectroscopy, correlations have been made between the formation of new Ge- and Sb-based oxysulfide structural units, the Sb content and the O/S ratio. We demonstrate the successful processing of active rare earth doped oxysulfide glasses by melting the chalcogenide glass with Er 2O 3 and Sb 2O 3 and also by melting the Er 3+ doped chalcogenide glass with Sb 2O 3. Modification of the emission spectra at 1500 nm of Er 3+ doped samples with the introduction of oxygen revealed that Er 3+ most likely exists in dual O- and S-neighbor environments. Finally, the photo-response of these new glasses upon near-IR femtosecond laser irradiation has been investigated as a function of Sb content and O/S ratio and shows that the glasses are photo-sensitive to NIR fs laser light with the magnitude of the photo-sensitivity dependent on the glass’ Sb content and O/S ratio. In this paper, we demonstrate the successful processing of active rare earth doped oxysulfide glasses by melting the chalcogenide glass with Er 2O 3 and Sb 2O 3 but also by melting the Er 3+ doped chalcogenide glass with Sb 2O 3. These new glasses were found to be photo-sensitive to near-IR femtosecond laser irradiation and to exhibit a surface photo-expansion after laser irradiation which remains, as expected, lower than similar response seen for oxygen-free chalcogenide glasses.