Reactive molten core fabrication of glass-clad Se(0.8)Te(0.2) semiconductor core optical fibers.

Phosphate glass-clad optical fibers comprising amorphous Se(0.8)Te(0.2) semiconductor core were fabricated by a reactive molten core approach. The Se(0.8)Te(0.2) crystals were precipitated in core region by a postdrawing annealing process, which were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, micro-Raman spectra, electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer, and transmission electron microscope measurement results. A two-cm-long crystalline Se(0.8)Te(0.2) semiconductor core optical fiber, electrically contacted to external circuitry through the fiber end facets, exhibits a two-orders-of-magnitude change in conductivity between dark and illuminated states. The great discrepancy in light and dark conductivity suggests that such crystalline Se(0.8)Te(0.2) semiconductor core optical fibers have promising applications in optical switch and photoconductivity of optical fiber array.