Preparation of chalcogenide glasses of As–S, Ge–S, Ge–Se systems from monoisotopic elements

As2S3, GeS3, GeSe4 glasses have been prepared from monoisotopic (isotopically enriched) arsenic, germanium, sulfur and selenium. Impurity composition was investigated; IR-spectra and glass transition temperature of prepared glasses were measured as compared with glass samples from the elements of natural isotopic composition. It is shown that the change in isotopic composition of glass leads to the expected shift in resonance absorption bands in IR-spectra by ~ 1–8 cm− 1 as compared with the samples of natural isotopic composition. Optical fibers were fabricated from As2S3.26 glass with natS and 32S. Great difference in optical losses in glass of natural and isotopically enriched composition is due to a different degree of purity of the used sulfur.

► Isotopically enriched GeSe4, GeS3, As2S3 chalcogenide glasses are prepared. ► Properties of isotopically enriched glasses were determined. ► Isotopically enriched glasses show the shift in intrinsic absorption bands.