Trends and prospects for development of chalcogenide fibers for mid-infrared transmission

The main directions of investigations and technological developments for improvement of technical and operational characteristics of optical fibers from chalcogenide glasses are considered. The methods of ultra purification of various chalcogenide glasses from the limiting impurities, the techniques of preparation of low loss optical fibers, including microstructured fibers, have been developed. The prospects for the use of chalcogenide fibers in telecommunication and non-linear optics systems are discussed.