Infrastructure for fabrication of optical fiber-grade non-oxide soft glasses and components

Project funded under the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” Programme, within the framework of  I.4.2. Action “Fund for the Renovation and Development of Research Infrastructure – purchase or production of research infrastructure”

Project leader: prof. dr hab. Ryszard Buczyński, Wydział Fizyki UW

The amount of funding: 352 000 zł

A set of two modular gloveboxes for melting optical quality fluoride glasses in anaerobic and dry atmospheres – with nitrogen, argon or helium.

Chamber 1 designed for the synthesis of non-oxide fluoride glasses

Chamber 2 designed for storage and preparation of raw material kits

Key features of the glovebox system:

• 316L construction material resistant to aggressive chemical vapours and high temperatures ( possibility of liquid glass spillage)
• front glass of both chambers made of polycarbonate glass, resistant to hydrofluoric acid
• purity of the working atmosphere for the dynamic system inside the working chambers target value <1 ppm for H2O / O2.

The immediate benefits of the project’s implementations include access to development of structured fluoride glass fibers optics, including, but not limited to hollow core fibers and flexible image guiding bundles compatible with wavelengths outside of silica fiber technology, such as UV and mid-infrared. Applications include various diagnostic techniques and experiments, such as imaging of sensitive matter, or flexible delivery of ultrashort pulsed light at exotic wavelengths for UV spectroscopy.

Contact persons:

prof. Ryszard Buczyński, Ph.D., ryszard.buczyński@fuw.edu.pl

Mariusz Klimczak, Ph.D., mariusz.klimczak@fuw.edu.pl