Preparation and properties of chalcogenide glasses in the GeS2–Sb2S3–CdS system

In searching for new kind of photoelectric material, chalcogenide glasses in the GeS2–Sb2S3–CdS system have been studied and their glass-forming region was determined. The system has a relatively large glass-forming region that is mainly situated along the GeS2–Sb2S3 binary side. Thermal, optical and mechanical properties of the glasses were reported and the effects of compositional change on their properties are discussed. These novel chalcogenide glasses have relatively high glass transition temperatures (Tg ranges from 566 to 583 K), good thermal stabilities (the maximum of deference between the onset crystallization temperature, Tc, and Tg is 105 K), broad transmission region (0.57–12 μm) and large densities (d ranges from 2.99 to 3.34 g cm−3). These glasses would be expected to be used in the field of rare earth doped fiber amplifiers and nonlinear optical devices.