INFRARED TRANSMITTING SILVER HALIDE FIBERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

There is a wide interest in the development of optical fibers for the mid - IR (i.e. 3-30mm).  AgClBr crystals are extruded in our laboratory to form fibers, which are flexible, non-toxic, non-hygroscopic and highly transparent in the mid-IR.  These silver halide fibers have made it possible to carry out advanced research and development, which will be discussed in this talk:

(1)  Non - contact fiberoptic thermometry.

(2)  Laser power transmission through IR fibers (e.g. laser cutting or heating).

(3)  Laser bonding of tissues - clinical studies.

(4)  Fiberoptic evanescent wave spectroscopy and its applications:

1. Environmental protection (e.g. monitoring of pollution in water and soil).
2. Homeland Security (e.g. online monitoring of poisons in water).
3. Early diagnosis of diseases, such as cancer – clinical studies.

(5)  Periodic structures of IR Fibers:

a.   Thermal imaging through ordered bundles of fibers.

b.   Novel photonic crystal fibers.

(6)   Single mode fibers and waveguides for mid - IR astronomy (e.g. nulling interferometry).

(7)  Doped AgClBr crystals and fibers for mid - IR amplifiers and lasers (e.g. countermeasures against shoulder launched missiles).

(8)  Near-field scanning mid-IR microscopy with a sub-wavelength resolution (e.g. the study of individual living cells or of individual components in integrated electronic circuits).