Work

Research on ultra-smooth surface processing of mid-infrared indium fluoride-based fiber glass

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The advancement of mid-infrared (MIR) laser technology and devices is inseparable from the development of suitable MIR materials. Currently, fluoride glasses are among the candidate materials for MIR fiber matrices, with indium fluoride-based glass being a relatively new area of research focused on achieving high-performance glass. This paper takes a novel approach by designing a polishing experiment on the surface of indium fluoride glass to investigate the mechanism for achieving high optical surface quality. Starting from surface planarization, the study combines traditional chemical-mechanical polishing experiments with multi-field finite element simulations to elucidate the process and phenomena associated with obtaining high optical surface quality in indium fluoride glass. Results indicate that indium fluoride glass exhibits no crystallization behavior during processing and can achieve a surface roughness (Rq) of 3 nm under alkaline conditions at PH11, with a material removal rate of 19.39 µm/min. The polished indium fluoride glass exhibits a transmittance of over 90% within the 2.5-9 µm MIR range, with no evidence of damage or defects. The experimental design presented in this paper offers a new perspective on MIR materials for indium fluoride fiber glass applications.

Source: Journal of Alloys and Compounds

DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.180590