INFRARED HETERODYNING USING SILVER-HALIDE FIBERS

Infrared-transmitting silver halide fibers, 0. 3 to 1. 0 mm in diam were fabricated by extrusion and were found to have losses of about 1 db/m at lambda equals 10. 6 mu m. Infrared heterodyne experiments have been carried out using these fibers. Two stabilized CO//2 lasers, of frequencies omega //1 and omega //2, were used. The two laser beams were coupled into a single infrared fiber, using a Y coupler, with no other optics. Both beams were transmitted through this fiber to a fast IR detector. A heterodyne signal at a beat frequency omega //1- omega //2 was obtained from the detector.