Research progress of rare earth ions doped chalcogenide glasses for mid-infrared luminescence

The mid-infrared laser in the range of 2–5 μm has been developed to apply to the fields of remote sensing, ranging, environmental monitoring, biological engineering and medical treatment, etc.. Luminescence emission from the rare-earth ions in chalcogenide glass fiber which was pumped by solid-state laser is an effective and direct way to obtain the mid-infrared laser in the region of 2–5 μm. This review represents the recent development on the studies of rare-earth doped chalcogenide glass for mid-infrared luminescence abroad and analyzed the factors influencing the mid-infrared luminescence in chalcogenide glass. Further studies on this aspect were mentioned and prospected.