Work

Non-equivalent interchange between acousto-optic performance and laser damage resistance in an eco-friendly Ge-Sn-Se-S quaternary chalcogenide glass system

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The design and development of high-performance acousto-optic materials are driving the large-scale application of acousto-optic modulation technology in key fields such as optical communication and laser radar. Although commercial chalcogenide glasses (ChGs; e.g., As 2 S 3 , As 2 Se 3 , Ge 33 As 12 Se 55 , etc.) had been found to exhibit excellent acousto-optic properties, their practical applications are limited by a low laser-induced damage threshold ( LIDT ), insufficient mechanical strength, and the formation of toxic oxide byproducts from arsenic. To this end, we develop and design a quaternary, eco-friendly Ge-Sn-Se-S (GSSS) ChG system based on a robust Ge and Sn tetrahedral network. Through a graded S/Se interchange strategy, rigid [GeS n Se 4-n ] and [SnS n Se 4-n ] tetrahedra are formed and dominate within the glass network. This not only boosts LIDT to 13.89 J/cm 2 —about 8.7 times that of As 2 S 3 , but also drastically reduces the acoustic attenuation coefficient (α), bringing it down to 1.21 dB/cm at 10 MHz which is 84.2% lower than As 2 S 3 glass (7.65 dB/cm at 10 MHz). Although the acousto-optic figure of merit ( M 2 ) of the GSSS ChGs decreases with S/Se ratio, its minimum value is 211.8 × 10 -18 s 3 /g at 1.55 µm, still surpassing that of As 2 S 3 glass (182.54×10 -18 s 3 /g at 1.55 µm) by 16%. These findings highlight the exceptional potential of GSSS ChGs for developing high-performance, environmentally friendly acousto-optic devices.

Source: Optics Express

DOI: 10.1364/oe.577687