IR spectra analysis of SiO₂−TiO₂−GeO₂ gel glass of CO₂ laser transmitting hollow waveguide

Abstract

Both titanium and germanium were introduced into silicon dioxide system by sol-gel method to move its region of anomalous dispersion caused by IR resonance absorption towards the wavelength of CO₂ laser. It is indicated by IR absorption spectra that as the content of SiO₂ decreases in this glass system TiO₂ and GeO₂ tends to exist in their own phases. As for the gel glass with a composition of 40 SiO₂·30TiO₂·30GeO₂, when the temperature is below 600°C, germanium atoms exist mainly in Ge−O−Ge bonds. With the temperature increasing from 800°C to 1000°C, titanium atoms in Si−O−Ti bonds abmost transform into Ti−O−Ti bonds. Furthermore, a large number of Si−O−Ti and Si−O−Ge bonds formed when the temperature approaches 800°C, which makes a notable IR absorption band round the wavelength of CO₂ laser. Therefore, sol-gel based SiO₂−TiO₂−GeO₂ gel glass is a candidate material for CO₂ laser hollow waveguide.

Keywords

hollow waveguide / SiO₂−TiO₂−GeO₂ gel glass / IR spectra CO₂ laser

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