Effect of Ag Doping on Photobleaching in Ge28Sb12Se60 Chalcogenide Films

Chalcogenide glass is an optical material with excellent mid-infrared and far-infrared penetration properties. The silver-doped Ge28Sb12Se60 (GSS) chalcogenide films in this paper were deposited on a glass substrate by the co-evaporation technique. A continuous laser with different power outputs was then used to scan the glass material at a constant speed, and the photobleaching (PB) effects were observed using optical microscopy. The results show that silver doping can speed up the PB of GSS film only under high-power laser irradiation. While silver doping helps to speed up the PB effect, it also increases the risk of film damage. This study is beneficial in the development of embedded optical waveguide structures.