Refractive index dispersion of chalcogenide glasses for ultra-high numerical-aperture fiber for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation

We select a chalcogenide core glass, AsSe, and cladding glass, GeAsSe, for their disparate refractive indices yet sufficient thermal-compatibility for fabricating step index fiber (SIF) for mid-infrared supercontinuum generation (MIR-SCG). The refractive index dispersion of both bulk glasses is measured over the 0.4 mu m-33 mu m wavelength-range, probing the electronic and vibrational behavior of these glasses. We verify that a two-term Sellmeier model is unique and sufficient to describe the refractive index dispersion over the wavelength range for which the experimentally determined extinction coefficient is insignificant. A SIF composed of the glasses is fabricated and calculated to exhibit an ultra-high numerical aperture >0.97 over the entire wavelength range 0.4-33 mu m suggesting that the SIF glass pair is a promising candidate for MIR-SCG. Material dispersion characteristics and the zero dispersion wavelength, both critical design parameters for SIF for MIR-SCG, are derived. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America