Abstract

There is a wide interest in the development of optical fibers for the mid – IR (i.e. 3-30μm). 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: a. Environmental protection (e.g. monitoring of pollution in water and soil). b. Homeland Security (e.g. online monitoring of poisons in water). c. Early diagnosis of diseases, such as cancer – clinical studies. (5) Doped AgClBr crystals and fibers for mid – IR amplifiers and lasers (e.g. countermeasures against shoulder launched missiles). (6) 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).