Properties of tellurite core/cladding glasses for magneto-optical fibers

•TeO2–PbO–B2O3–SiO2 system was studied as a core/cladding pair.•Well matched core and cladding glasses for magneto optical fiber have been determined.•The magneto-optical property was investigated under different wavelengths.•The obtained core and cladding glasses have a good magneto-optical parameter.•Good magneto-optical performance was explained by structural analysis.

The design and fabrication of a tellurite based magneto-optical (MO) glass for MO fiber applications are presented and discussed. Two MO glasses based on the TeO2–PbO–B2O3–SiO2 system were investigated in terms of thermal, optical and magnetic performances as a core/cladding pair for MO fiber fabrication. The optimal core and cladding elemental compositions were found to be: (58.8–60%) TeO2–(39.2–40%) PbO–(0.5–2%) B2O3 mol% for core glass, and (76–58.2) TeO2–(36–38.8%) PbO–(0.5–2%) B2O3–(0.3–2%) SiO2 mol% for cladding glass. The Verdet constant and Figure of merit of the fabricated glasses were measured under different wavelengths using a home-made optical bench.