Researchers from the Institute of Chemistry of High-Purity Substances of the Russian Academy of Sciences have developed an innovative optical fiber. It features record low energy losses, surpassing existing analogs by a factor of five. This development will find application in the creation of more powerful lasers, in microsurgery and ophthalmology, as well as in the production of high-precision sensors for monitoring harmful gases in the environment.
The obtained characteristics of the optical fiber are an important technological result that brings us closer to the practical use of telluride optical fibers in real devices for the infrared range.
Optical fiber is a thin glass thread that provides light transmission over considerable distances. Fibers operating in the infrared range with wavelengths of 9.3 and 10.6 micrometers are particularly in demand in medicine: they are used in lasers for high-precision neurosurgery and ophthalmological operations, reducing risks and increasing accuracy due to the absence of bulky mirror systems. The new development will significantly improve the efficiency of such medical technologies.