NEW GALLIUM AND INDIUM BASED FLUORIDE GLASSES

New vitreous systems based on gallium and indium fluorides have been e xplored. Glass formation was studied systematically in the ternary sys tems InF3-CdF2-MF2 and GaF3-CdF2-(Pb/Zn)F-2. Then gallium/indium subst itution was implemented. Further composition adjustments lead to stabl e multicomponent PbF2-GaF3-InF3-CdF2-ZnF2 (PGICZ) glasses. Characteris tic temperatures, refractive index, density and chemical durability, a re reported. CdF2 decreases chemical durability, while PbF2 incorporat ion results in relatively large values of refractive index and lower g lass transition temperatures. Application to optical amplification at 1.3 mu m using Pr3+ doped fibers is discussed.