Pas de résumé en français / Being compared with oxide glasses, chalcogenide glasses have fine infrared transmissivity and higher optical nonlinearity, and also could be drawn into optical fibers. So chalcogenide glasses and fibers have potential wide applications in the fields of all-optical information processing, infrared lasers, nonlinear optical devices, and so on, the studies of their optical nonlinearity are one of the attractive subjects in the area of optoelectronics at present. The main purpose of this paper is to improve the stability and enhance the intensity of nonlinearity in chalcogenide glasses and fibers by means of exploring new glass compositions, optimizing the external field poling method, designing and fabricating fibers with special structures, all of these will promote their real applications. The main results are concluded as follows . The glass-forming region of GeS2-GA2S3-AgX (X=Cl, Br, I) and GeS2-Ga (In)2S3-CuI systems were determined , the maximal content of the additive halides are 70% and 12% respectively. In both two systems glasses, with the increasing addition of halides, the thermal stability reduce, density and linear refractive index increase, the ultraviolet cut-off edges shift to longer wavelength, while the infrared cut-off edges keep almost the same. 30GeS2 35Ga2S3 35AgCl and 47.5GeS2 17.5Ga2S3 35AgCl surface- and bulk-crystallized glasses that contain AgGaGeS4 nonlinear optical crystallites were prepared. Obvious second harmonic generation (SHG) could be observed in these crystallized glasses, and their intensity relate to the distribution and size of the precipitated AgGaGeS4 crystals, the maximal second-order nonlinearity coefficients is as high as 12.4pm/V. These crystallized glasses have good chemical and SHG stability. For GeS2-Ga (In)2S3-CuI systems glasses, due to their small glass-forming region, they are not suit for the preparation of crystallized glasses that contain CuGaS2 or CuInS2 nonlinear optical crystals. According to the structural studies of two system glasses, the main structural units of theses glasses are [YS4-xXx] (Y=Ge, Ga, In. X=Cl, Br, I) mixed anion tetrahedrons, they form a three-dimensional glassy network through bridging sulphur bonds. When the contents of halides MX(M=Ag, Cu. X=Cl, Br, I) are low, some [XxS3-xGe(Ga)S3-xXx] (X=Cl, Br, I) mixed ethane-like structural units exist in the glass network, and they will gradually transform to [YS4-xXx] (Y=Ge, Ga, In. X=Cl, Br, I) mixed anion tetrahedrons with the increasing content of halides, till totally disappear. Both two system glasses have ultrafast (~150fs) third-order optical nonlinearity and reverse saturation absorption, they belong to self-focusing medium. The third-order optical nonlinearity mainly originate from the distortion of electron cloud of Y-X (Y=Ge, Ga, In, X=Cl, Br, I, S) bonds in the structural units. For GeS2-GA2S3-AgX (X=Cl, Br, I) system glasses, the largest nonlinear susceptibility n2 is 10.50x10-18 m/W, the smallest figure of merit (FOM) is 0.606. In addition, the relation of n2 with n0 do not obey Miller’s rule, but in accordance with the structural variation. Among the glass compositions with different additive halogens, Br-containing glasses have relatively best third-order nonlinearities. For GeS2-Ga (In)2S3-CuI system glasses, the largest nonlinear susceptibility n2 is 9.37x10-18 m/W, the smallest figure of merit (FOM) is 2.237. High purity AS2S3 glass performs and low loss single index fibers with diameter of 100~400µm that drawn form these performs were prepared, the transmission losses between 2~6 µm is only 0.5dB/m. AS2S3 tapered fibers have a uniform diameter of taper wasit, fine surface smoothness, and sharp taper transition part.

L'augmentation des émissions de CO2 entraîne un réchauffement de la planète préjudiciable aux équilibres écologiques terrestres. Dans ce contexte, le stockage de CO2 dans des formations géologiques terrestres et sous-marines se pose comme un moyen intéressant de limiter les conséquences de ces émissions. Cependant cette solution nécessite une surveillance continue afin de détecter d'éventuelles fuites au niveau d'une zone de stockage. Les travaux de thèse présentés concernent le développement d'un capteur optique en fibre de chalcogénures pour la détection de CO2 gazeux fonctionnant dans le moyen infrarouge. Cette détection est basée sur un phénomène de luminescence, jouant le rôle de source déportée et partiellement absorbée en présence de CO2. Le développement de ces fibres optiques a demandé un important travail en sciences des matériaux et en caractérisation spectroscopique. Un prototype a été fabriqué et utilisé avec succès sur le terrain lors de campagnes de mesure menées in-situ. / The increase of CO2 emissions causes global warming harmful to ecological balances in earth. In this context, CO2 storage in geological formations is an interesting way to limit the consequences of these emissions. However, this solution requires continuous monitoring to detect possible leaks at storage area. The presented work involves the development of an optical fiber sensor based on chalcogenide glasses for the CO2 gas detection operating in the infrared. This detection is based on a luminescent phenomenon, acts as a remote source and partly absorbed in the presence of CO2. The development of these fiber optic asked important work in materials science and spectroscopic characterization. A prototype was manufactured and successfully used in the field during measurement campaigns in situ.

L’objectif principal de ce travail est de développer des optiques moulées transparentes du visible à l’infrarouge thermique 8-12μm pour des applications de vision multi-spectrales. La recherche de compositions de verres utilisables pour ces applications a été faite parmi les verres de chalcogénures (connus pour leurs grandes transparences dans l’infrarouge), plus précisément dans les systèmes GeS2-Ga2S3-CsCl et GeSe2-Ga2Se3-CsI. Ces deux systèmes présentent des transparences étendues dans le visible avec l’ajout d’halogénures d’alcalin.En privilégiant une transparence dans le domaine visible, le système à base de soufre a été plus précisément étudié avec la sélection de deux compositions 75GeS2-15Ga2S3-10CsCl et 65GeS2-20Ga2S3-15CsCl. Les transmissions optiques, les indices de réfraction, les dispersions chromatiques et les variations d’indices en fonction de la température pour ces compositions ont été mesurés. Les propriétés thermiques, la mise en forme des verres ainsi que les propriétés mécaniques ont été présentées pour compléter la caractérisation de ces matériaux. Ces compositions possèdent de bonnes stabilités contre la cristallisation et des transparences étendues de 0,5μm à 11,5μm. Ces résultats nous permettent d’envisager la production d’optiques couvrant une large bande spectrale et de proposer une alternative au matériau ZnS pour les systèmes optiques. Cependant, les dispersions chromatiques de ces deux verres possèdent des comportements très similaires. Une étude de ce paramètre important pour corriger les aberrations chromatiques a été faite pour permettre de déterminer une composition avec une dispersion différente.Pour ces verres, l’addition de chlorure de césium engendre une légère dégradation des propriétés optiques due à la réaction du verre avec l’humidité environnante. Pour protéger ces verres contre la corrosion de l’atmosphère, une couche protectrice de ZnS a été appliquée par pulvérisation cathodique. De plus, un traitement antireflet a été appliqué par Thales Angénieux pour optimiser la transmission de ces verres dans les bandes spectrales spécifiées. Ce revêtement antireflet agit également comme un revêtement de protection. Ces travaux sur des verres à base de GeS2-Ga2S3 pour des applications optiques, nous ont également conduits à étudier ces verres contenant des ions de sodium pour la conduction ionique avec l’ajout d’halogénure de sodium (NaI et NaCl). La conductivité ionique de ces verres a été mesurée et comparée à la conductivité des verres contenant du lithium. Il a été démontré que le système GeS2-Ga2S3-NaI peut conduire à des verres avec une conductivité ionique de 10-6 S.cm-1 à température ambiante. / The objective of our study is to develop moldable optics operating simultaneously from the visible up to the thermal infrared region (8-12μm) for multispectral applications. The research of a suitable composition for optical applications has been done among chalcogenide glasses (well known for their extended transmission in the infrared domain), more precisely in the GeS2-Ga2S3-CsCl and GeSe2-Ga2Se3-CsI glass-forming systems. These two systems present extended transparency in the visible region due to alkali halide addition.In order to have enough transparency in the visible region, the sulfide based system has been more precisely studied with the selection of two compositions: 75GeS2-15Ga2S3-10CsCl and 65GeS2-20Ga2S3-15CsCl. Their optical transmissions, the refractive indices, the chromatic dispersions and the indices as function of temperature are studied. The thermal properties, molding ability and mechanical properties have been also studied in addition to the above-mentioned optical properties. These two compositions shows good stability against crystallization and extended transparency from 0,5 to 11,5 μm. It makes possible to consider the production of optics which cover a large spectral band, leading to an alternative to the ZnS for multispectral optical system. However, the chromatic dispersion of these two glasses is similar. A study of this important parameter as function of the glass composition has been performed in order to find a new composition with significantly different chromatic dispersion.For all these glasses, the addition of cesium chloride causes a slight degradation of optical properties due to its sensitivity to moisture. In order to protect these glasses against the atmospheric aggression, an efficient protective coatings of zinc sulfide has been applied by sputtering. An antireflective coating has been developed by Thales Angénieux to enhance the transmission in different specific wavelength ranges. The Antireflection coating acts also as a protective coating.This work on glasses in the GeS2- Ga2S3 system for optical applications, has also led us to study these glasses containing sodium ions for ionic conduction. The ionic conductivity has been measured and compared to that of glasses containing lithium ion. It has been demonstrated that the GeS2-Ga2S3-NaI can lead to glasses with an ionic conductivity of 10-6 S.cm-1 at room temperature.

Le domaine des couches minces optiques a vu les fonctions de filtrage se complexifier et les techniques de dépôt se perfectionner. Cependant, certains filtres requièrent des performances ultimes notamment en termes d’uniformité et de centrage de leur réponse spectrale. Atteindre ces spécificités requiert un contrôle précis de l'épaisseur optique des couches de l’empilement. Pour se faire, l’utilisation d’un matériau dont l’indice de réfraction peut être modifié localement après dépôt est une solution. Le candidat retenu est un verre de chalcogénures : l’AMTIR-1, un verre commercial, dont l’indice de réfraction décroit sous l’action d’un champ électrique lumineux. Des couches minces de ce matériau ont été déposées par évaporation par canon à électrons et leurs propriétés optiques ont été caractérisées par mesures spectrophotométriques. Des variations d’indice photo-induites de ~4.10-2 ont été enregistrées à λ = 1 μm. Ces variations d’indice ont ensuite été exploitées pour concevoir des composants à base de couches minces optiques spatialement structurés. En particulier, des composants optiques diffractifs binaires ont été enregistrés dans le volume d’une monocouche épaisse de chalcogénure par exposition structurée. Un accord quasi parfait entre théorie et expérience a ainsi été obtenu. L’insertion de ces couches photosensibles à base de chalcogénures dans des filtres optiques interférentiels multicouches a également été investiguée. Une démonstration du contrôle local de la réponse spectrale d’un filtre passe-bande de type Fabry-Perot a été réalisée, démontrant ainsi le potentiel de cette nouvelle approche pour la réalisation de composants optiques optimisés. / In recent years, there has been a tremendous progress in the complexity of thin film optical filters but also an important improvement in the deposition techniques. However, some filters require ultimate performances especially in terms of uniformity and absolute position of their spectral responses. Achieving these characteristics requires a precise and local control of the optical thickness of each of the layers. To overcome some of these fabrication constraints, the use of a material which index of refraction or thickness can be locally changed after deposition is an attractive solution. The chosen material is a chalcogenide glass : AMTIR-1, a commercial glass which refractive index decreases when exposed to light source. Thin films of this material were deposited by electron beam deposition and optical properties were characterized by spectrophotometric measurements. Photo-induced refractive index changes of ~ 4.10-2 were recorded at λ = 1 μm. These refractive index variations were then used to fabricate spatially structured thin films. In particular, diffractive optical elements were recorded in the volume of a thick chalcogenide single layer. This is performed by structured exposure using an optical arrangement based on a digital micromirror device. A close to perfect agreement between theory and experiment has been obtained. The insertion of these chalcogenide-based photosensitive layers in multilayer optical interference filters has also been investigated. A demonstration of the local control of the spectral response of a Fabry-Perot bandpass filter was performed, demonstrating the potential of this new approach for the production of optimized optical components

<p>U ovom radu prikazani su rezultati ispitivanja termičkih, mehaničkih, električnih i optičkih karakteristika kvazibinarnih halkogenida iz sistema Bi-As2S3. Na osnovu termičkih merenja analizirana je kinetika kristalizacionih i predkristalizacionih procesa i utvrđen je mehanizam dekompozicije za različite sastave dobijenih stakala. Primenom impedansne spektroskopije kvantitativno su ocenjeni doprinosi relaksacionih procesa na pojedinim temperaturama u ukupnoj polaraziciji za stakla sa 5 i 7 at.% Bi. Na osnovu merenja Raman spektroskopije identifikovane su nastale strukturne jedinice i konstatovana pojava nanofazne separacije u staklima sa 1.5 i 3 at.% Bi. Mehanička merenja ispitivanih halkogenida različitog sastava ukazala su na povećanje Vickers-ove tvrdoće sa povećanjem udela primesnih atoma. Na osnovu procenjene vrednosti modula elastičnosti ustanovljeno je da uzorak sa 5 at.% Bi odlikuje najgu&scaron;će atomsko pakovanje. Merenja električnih karakteristika u jednosmernom režimu (DC) pokazala su da je udeo lokalizovanih stanja u ukupnom mehanizmu provođenja značajan samo za manje koncentracije primesnih atoma, a da za veće koncentracije dominantan faktor postaju preskoci između delokalizovanih stanja. Skok u provodljivosti za nekoliko redova veličine kod sastava sa složenijom strukturom protumačen je kao posledica fazne separacije. Rezultati&nbsp; ACmerenja dobijeni za sastav sa 5 at.% Bi ukazali su da je u mernom frekventnom intervalu i dalje dominantan mehanizam termičke aktivacije nosilaca naelektrisanja. Kod sastava sa maksimalnim sadržajem Bi uočena je promena provodljivosti u funkciji frekvencije na svim temperaturama, a dobijeni rezultati su u skladu sa postavkama modela korelisanih preskoka barijere (CHB model).</p> / <p>This paper presents the results of investigation ofthermal, mechanical, electrical and optical propertiesof quasibinar chalcogenides from the system Bi-As2S3.&nbsp;Kinetics analysis of softening and crystallizationprocesses was done on the basis of thermalmeasurements, as well the analysis of decompositionmechanism for different compositions of obtainedglasses. The application of impedance spectroscopy enabled quantitative description of relaxation process contributions at selected temperatures in the overallpolarization for the samples with 5 and 7 at.% Bi.&nbsp;Based on measurements of Raman spectroscopy identification of structural units in the investigated chalcogenides was made, as well as the appearance of&nbsp;nano-scale phase separation in the glasses with 1.5 and 3 at.% Bi. Mechanical measurements pointed to the increase of the Vickers hardness with increase of&nbsp;doping atoms content. &nbsp;Based on the estimated value of the modulus of elasticity it was found that the sample &nbsp;with 5 at.% Bi is characterized by the densest atomic&nbsp;arrangement. Measurements of the electrical properties in dc regime (DC) pointed out that the share of localized states in the whole mechanism of conduction&nbsp;is significant only for the smaller concentrations of doping atoms. For the samples with higher concentrations dominant &nbsp;factor in conductivity are transitions between delocalized states. The jump in conductivity by few orders of magnitude, noticed for&nbsp;the compound with heterogeneous structure was interpreted as a consequence of micro-scale phase&nbsp; separation. Results of&nbsp; ACmeasurements for the&nbsp; composition with 5 at.% Bi showed that the mechanism of thermal activation of charge carriers is&nbsp;still dominant in the measured frequency range. For&nbsp;&nbsp; the composition with the maximum content of Bi changes in conductivity versus frequency were observed at all temperatures, and the results were interpreted in accordance with the model of correlated hopping over the barrier (CHB).</p>

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The Phase Change Memories (PCM) based on chalcogenide glasses are being considered recently as a possible replacement for conventional Non Volatile Random Access Memories (NVRAM). The main advantages of chalcogenide phase change memories are their direct write/overwrite capability, lower voltages of operation, large write/erase cycles, easiness to integrate with logic, etc. The phase change random access memories work on the principle of memory switching exhibited by chalcogenide glasses during which a local structural change (between amorphous and crystalline states) occurs due to an applied electric field. The development of newer phase change materials for NVRAM applications is based on synthesizing newer glass compositions and investigating their electrical switching characteristics by applying current/voltage pulses of different waveforms. The thermal studies on chalcogenide glasses which provide information about thermal stability, glass forming ability, etc., are also important while selecting a chalcogenide glass for PCM applications. The present thesis work deals with electrical switching and thermal studies on certain silicon based ternary telluride glasses (As-Te-Si, Ge-Te-Si and Al-Te-Si). The effect of network topological thresholds on the composition dependence of switching voltages and thermal parameters such as glass transition temperature, specific heat capacity, non-reversing enthalpy, etc., of these glasses has been investigated. The first chapter of the thesis provides an introduction to various properties of chalcogenide glasses, including their applications in phase change memories. The fundamental aspects of amorphous solids such as glass formation, glass transition, etc., are presented. Further, the concepts of rigidity percolation and self organization in glassy networks and the influence of local structural effects on the properties of glassy chalcogenides are discussed. Also, a brief history of evolution of phase change memories is presented. The second chapter deals with the experimental techniques employed in this thesis work; for sample preparation and for electrical switching studies, Alternating Differential Scanning Calorimetry (ADSC), Raman spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, etc. The third chapter discusses the electrical switching and thermal studies on As30Te70-xSix (2 ≤ x ≤ 22) and As40Te60-xSix (2 ≤ x ≤ 17) glasses. The composition dependence of electrical switching voltage (VT) and thermal parameters such as glass transition temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tc), thermal stability (Tc-Tg), etc., reveals the occurrence of extended rigidity percolation and chemical thresholds in As30Te70-xSix and As40Te60-xSix glasses. Chapter 4 presents the electrical switching and thermal studies on Ge15Te85-xSix glasses (2 ≤ x ≤ 12). These glasses have been found to exhibit memory type electrical switching. While Ge15Te85-xSix glasses with x ≤ 5 exhibit a normal electrical switching, an unstable behavior is seen in the I-V characteristics of Ge15Te85-xSix glasses with x > 5 during the transition to ON state. Further, the switching voltage (VT) and initial resistance (R) are found to increase with addition of Si, exhibiting a change in slope at the rigidity percolation threshold of the Ge15Te85-xSix system. The ADSC studies on these glasses indicate the presence of an extended stiffness transition and a thermally reversing window in Ge15Te85-xSix in the composition range of 2 ≤ x ≤ 6. The fifth chapter deals with electrical switching investigations, thermal and structural studies on Al15Te85-xSix glasses (2 ≤ x ≤ 12). These glasses have been found to exhibit two crystallization reactions (Tc1 and Tc2) for compositions with x < 8 and a single stage crystallization is seen for compositions above x = 8. Also, a trough is seen in the composition dependence of non-reversing enthalpy (ΔHNR), based on which it is proposed that there is a thermally reversing window in Al15Te85-xSix glasses in the composition range 4 ≤ x ≤ 8. Further, Al15Te85-xSix glasses are found to exhibit a threshold type electrical switching at ON state currents less than 2 mA. The start and the end of the thermally reversing window seen in the thermal studies are exemplified by a kink and saturation in the composition dependence of switching voltages respectively. 27Al Solid State NMR measurements reveal that in Al15Te85-xSix glasses, Al atoms reside in 4-fold as well as 6-fold coordinated environments. Unlike in Al-As-Te glasses, there is no correlation seen between the composition dependence of the fraction of 4-fold and 6-fold coordinated aluminum atoms and the switching behavior of Al-Te-Si samples. Chapter 6 provides a comparison of the properties of the three glassy systems studied (As-Te-Si, Ge-Te-Si and Al-Te-Si), made to identify the system better suited for phase change memory applications. It is found that the Ge-Te-Si glassy system has better electrical/thermal properties for phase change memory applications. The seventh chapter describes easily reversible SET-RESET processes in Ge15Te83Si2 glass which is a promising candidate for phase change memory applications. This sample exhibits memory switching at a comparatively low threshold electric field (Eth) of 7.3 kV/cm. The SET and RESET processes have been achieved with 1 mA triangular current pulse for the SET process and 1 mA rectangle pulse (of 10 msec width) for RESET operation respectively. Further, a self-resetting effect is seen in this material upon excitation with a saw-tooth/square pulse. About 6.5x104 SET-RESET cycles have been achieved without any damage to the device. In chapter 8, results of in-situ Raman scattering studies on the structural changes occurring during the SET and RESET processes in Ge15Te83Si2 sample, are presented. It is found that the degree of disorder in the glass is reduced from OFF to SET state. The local structure of the sample under RESET condition is similar to that in the OFF state. The Raman results are found to be consistent with the switching results which indicate that the Ge15Te83Si2 glass can be SET and RESET easily. Further, Electron Microscopic studies on switched samples indicate the formation of nanometer sized particles of cSiTe2. A summary of the results obtained and the scope for future work are included in the chapter 9 of the thesis.

Chalcogenide glasses are a class of covalent amorphous semiconductors with interesting properties. The presence of short-range order and the pinned Fermi level are the two important properties that make them suitable for many applications. With flash memory technology reaching the scaling limit as per Moore’s law, alternate materials and techniques are being researched at for realizing next generation non-volatile memories. Two such possibilities that are being looked at are Phase Change Memory (PCM) and Programmable Metallization Cell (PMC) both of which make use of chalcogenide materials. This thesis starts with a survey of the work done so far in realizing PCMs in reality. For chalcogenides to be used as a main memory or as a replacement to FLASH technology, the electrical switching parameters like switching voltage, programming current, ON state and OFF state resistances, switching time and optical parameters like band gap are to be considered. A survey on the work done in this regard has revealed that various parameters such as chemical composition of the PC material, nature of additives used to enhance the performance of PCM, topological thresholds (Rigidity Percolation Threshold and Chemical Threshold), device geometry, thickness of the active volume, etc., influence the electrical switching parameters. This has motivated to further investigate the material and experimental parameters that affect switching and also to explore the possibility of multi level switching. In this thesis work, the feasibility of using two chalcogenide systems namely Si15Te85-xGex and Ge15Te85-xAgx in the form of amorphous thin films for PCM application is explored. In the process, electrical switching experiments have been carried out on thin films belonging to these systems and the results obtained are found to exhibit some interesting anomalies. Further experiments and analysis have been carried out to understand these anomalies. Finally, the dynamics of electrical switching has been investigated and presented for amorphous Si15Te85-xGex thin films. From these studies, it is also seen that multi state switching/multiple resistance levels of the material can be achieved by current controlled switching, the mechanisms of which have been further probed using XRD analysis and AFM studies. In addition, investigations have been carried out on the electrical switching behavior of amorphous Ge15Te85-xAgx thin film devices and optical band gap studies on amorphous Ge15Te85-xAgx thin films. Chapter one of the thesis, gives a brief introduction to the limitations in existing memory technology and the alternative memory technologies that are being researched, based on which it can be inferred that PCM is a promising candidate for the next generation non volatile memory. This chapter also discusses the principle of using PCM to store data, realization of PCM using chalcogenides, the material properties to be considered in designing PCM, the trade offs in the process of design and the current trends in PCM technology. Chapter two provides a brief review of the electrical switching phenomenon observed in various bulk chalcogenide glasses, as electrical switching is the underlying principle behind the working of a PCM. In the process of designing a memory, many parameters like read/write operation speed, data retentivity and life, etc., have to be optimized for which a thorough understanding on the dependence of electrical switching mechanism on various material parameters is essential. In this chapter, the dependence of electrical switching on parameters like network topological thresholds and electrical and thermal properties of the material is discussed. Doping is an efficient way of controlling the electrical parameters of chalcogenides. The nature of dopant also influences switching parameters and this also is briefly discussed. Chapter three provides a brief introduction to the different experimental techniques used for the thesis work such as bulk chalcogenide glass preparation, preparation of thin amorphous films, measurement of film thickness, confirmation of amorphous nature of the films using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), electrical switching experiments using a custom made setup, crystallization study using XRD and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and optical band gap studies using UV-Vis spectrometer. Vt is an important parameter in the design of a PCM. Chapter four discusses the dependence of Switching voltage, Vt, on input energy. It is already established that the Vt is influenced by the composition of the base glass, nature of dopants, thickness of films and by the ambient temperature. Based on the results of electrical switching experiments in Si15Te74Ge11 amorphous thin films a comprehensive analysis has been done to understand the kinetics of electrical switching. Chapter five discusses a current controlled crystallization technique that can be used to realize multi-bit storage with a single layer of chalcogenide material. In case of PCM, data is stored as structural information; the memory cell in the amorphous state is read as data ‘0’ and the memory cell in crystalline state is read as data ‘1’. This is accomplished through the process of electrical switching. In order to increase the memory density or storage density, multi-bit storage is being probed at by having multiple layers of chalcogenide material. However, with this technique, the problems of inter-diffusion between different layers cannot be ruled out. In this thesis work, a current controlled crystallization technique has been used to achieve multiple stable resistance states in Si15Te75Ge10 thin films. Chapter six discusses the mechanism behind multi state switching exhibited by certain compositions of Si15Te85-xGex thin films. Crystallization studies on certain Si15Te85-xGex films have been carried out using XRD and AFM to understand the phenomenon of multiple states. The results of these experiments and analysis are presented in this chapter. Chapter seven discusses the results of electrical switching experiments and optical band gap studies on amorphous Ge15Te85-xAgx thin films. Chapter eight gives the conclusion and scope for future work.

Chalcogenide glasses are highly nonlinear optical materials which can be used for fabricating active and passive photonic devices. This thesis work deals with the fabrication of buried, three dimensional, channel waveguides in chalcogenide glasses, using ultrafast laser inscription technique. The femtosecond laser pulses are focused into rare earth ions doped and undoped chalcogenide glasses, few hundred microns below from the surface to modify the physical properties such as refractive index, density, etc. These changes are made use in the fabrication of active and passive photonic waveguides which have applications in integrated optics. The first chapter provides an introduction to the fundamental aspects of femtosecond laser inscription, laser interaction with matter and chalcogenide glasses for photonic applications. The advantages and applications of chalcogenide glasses are also described. Motivation and overview of the present thesis work have been discussed at the end. The methods of chalcogenide glass preparation, waveguide fabrication and characterization of the glasses investigated are described in the second chapter. Also, the details of the experiments undertaken, namely, loss (passive insertion loss) and gain measurements (active) and nanoindentation studies are outlined. Chapter three presents a study on the effect of net fluence on waveguide formation. A heat diffusion model has been used to solve the waveguide cross-section. The waveguide formation in GeGaS chalcogenide glasses using the ultrafast laser, has been analyzed in the light of a finite element thermal diffusion model. The relation between the net fluence and waveguide cross section diameter has been verified using the experimentally measured properties and theoretically predicted values. Chapter four presents a study on waveguide fabrication on Er doped Chalcogenide glass. The active and passive characterization is done and the optimal waveguide fabrication parameters are given, along with gain properties for Er doped GeGaS glass. A C-band waveguide amplifier has been demonstrated on Chalcogenide glasses using ultrafast laser inscription technique. A study on the mechanical properties of the waveguide, undertaken using the nanoindentation technique, is presented in the fifth chapter. This work brings out the close relation between the change in mechanical properties such as elastic modulus and hardness of the material under the irradiation of ultrafast laser after the waveguide formation. Also, a threshold value of the modulus and hardness for characterizing the modes of the waveguide is suggested. Finally, the chapter six provides a summary of work undertaken and also discusses the future work to be carried out.