Glass-in-glass infiltration for 3D micro-optical composite components

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Chalcogenide glass offers a wide infrared transmission window, high refractive index, and nonlinear optical properties.
• Poor mechanical properties and stability hinder the creation of 3D chalcogenide glass microstructures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for fabricating complex 3D chalcogenide-silica micro-glass composites.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional chalcogenide glass processing for 3D structures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D fused silica molds using femtosecond laser-assisted chemical etching.
• Pressure-assisted infiltration of chalcogenide glass into the silica molds.

Main Results:

• Successfully created geometrically complex 3D chalcogenide-silica micro-glass composites.
• Achieved high refractive index contrast enabling total-internal-reflection guiding.
• Demonstrated optical quality surface roughness suitable for infrared applications.

Conclusions:

• The combined laser etching and infiltration method enables the fabrication of advanced 3D chalcogenide-silica microstructures.
• The resulting composites are promising for infrared optical applications requiring total-internal-reflection guiding.