Time-resolved thermal lens measurements of thermo-optical properties of fluoride glasses

We present measurements of the temperature coefficient of optical path change, ds/dT, thermal diffusivity, D, and conductivity, K, using time-resolved mode-mismatched thermal lens method for fluoride (mol%) 53ZrF(4)-4.5LaF(3)-3.5AlF(3)-29BaF(2)-10NaF (ZBLAN), fluoroaluminate 20YF(3)-40AlF(3)-20CaF(2)-20BaF(2) (YABC) and fluoroindates 20GaF(3)-15InF(3)-20CaF(2)-15ZnF(2)-30PbF(2) (PGIZCa), 6GaF(3)-34InF(3)-20SrF(2)-16BaF(2)-20ZnF(2)-NaF (ISZn), 2GdF(3)-40InF(3)-20SrF(2)-16BaF(2)-20ZnF(2)-2%NaF (InSBZnCdN). All the samples were crystal free, as verified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and were at least 3 mm thick. The ds/dT of our samples was negative, the thermal diffusivity, D, was found to vary between 2.5 and 3.3 x 10(-3) cm(2)/s, and the thermal conductivity, K, varied between 7.4 and 10.3 x 10(-3) W/K cm. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.