The diffraction elements have many applications in optoelectronics, as gratings, lenses, filters, beam splitters, and etc. On the other hand chalcogenide glasses have a low cost and the ease of manufacturing, are excellent transmitting materials for IR region of the spectrum, with high light sensitivity, high refractive index and have pronounced photoinduced optical properties. Because the chalcogenide glass in the form of amorphous thin films exhibit different photoinduced effects, they successfully used as a phororezists, as a recording medium, as medium to create and store images or optical data using holography, integrated optics and electron-beam lithography, for forming of surface-relief gratings. The proposed project deals with the study of formation of amplitude and phase diffractive gratings in amorphous As-S-Se-Sn and As-Se-Ge layers by holographical and e-beam lithography, as well as by combination of these methods for nanolithography.

The main goal of the Project was elaboration of optical diffractive elements and complex diffraction structures based on chalcogenide glasses, characterization and optimization of parameters of obtained elements and structures to selecting the best system one.

The main objectives of the project were:

• Synthesizes of chalcogenide As-S-Se-Sn and As-Se-Ge bulk glasses and amorphous thin films deposition on glass substrate without and with the metal electrodes (Al, Ag, Cu, SnO₂), including the periodic modulated nanostructured films containing two or more glass compositions;
• Characterization of obtained materials by advanced methods: XRD, SEM, AFM, UV-Vis, NIR, FTIR and Micro-Raman techniques;
• Investigation of light-induced transformation, formation of diffraction patterns and complex diffraction structures by holographic method, e-beam direct writing, and with the aid of corona discharge;
• Formation of the relief diffractive grating using the chemical etching in different solvents;
• Computer simulation and experimental optimization of the optical and other parameters of diffraction elements;
• Recommendations for practical applications of elaborated diffraction elements and structures.

Project team:

• Oxana Iaseniuc, dr., condicător,
• Olga Bordian,
• George-Lucian Sibov-Medinschi,
• Chirill Covalenco.