In one embodiment, a chalcogenide glass optical fiber is produced by forming a billet including a chalcogenide glass mass and a polymer mass in a stacked configuration, heating the billet to a temperature below the melting point of the chalcogenide glass, extruding the billet in the ambient environment to form a preform rod having a chalcogenide glass core and a polymer jacket, and drawing the preform rod.

A quantum memory system includes a chalcogenide optical fiber link, a magnetic field generation unit and a pump laser. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a photon receiving end opposite a photon output end and is positioned within a magnetic field of the magnetic field generation unit when the magnetic field generation unit generates the magnetic field. The pump laser is optically coupled to the photon receiving end of the chalcogenide optical fiber link. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a core doped with a rare-earth element dopant. The rare-earth element dopant is configured to absorb a storage photon traversing the chalcogenide optical fiber link upon receipt of a first pump pulse output by the pump laser. Further, the rare-earth element dopant is configured to release the storage photon upon receipt of a second pump pulse output by the pump laser.

A method for making a chalcogenide glass waveguide in a liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. A mask is used to produce a tapered subcladding. Also disclosed is the related non-mechanical beam steering device that includes a chalcogenide waveguide.

A quantum memory system includes a chalcogenide optical fiber link, a magnetic field generation unit and a pump laser. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a photon receiving end opposite a photon output end and is positioned within a magnetic field of the magnetic field generation unit when the magnetic field generation unit generates the magnetic field. The pump laser is optically coupled to the photon receiving end of the chalcogenide optical fiber link. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a core doped with a rare-earth element dopant. The rare-earth element dopant is configured to absorb a storage photon traversing the chalcogenide optical fiber link upon receipt of a first pump pulse output by the pump laser. Further, the rare-earth element dopant is configured to release the storage photon upon receipt of a second pump pulse output by the pump laser.

The invention relates to Cr.sup.2+:ZnSe core optical fibers and methods of fabricating thereof, including a hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition reaction. The invention relates also to Cr.sup.2+:ZnSe optical fiber lasers, in particular to a crystalline semiconductor optical fiber laser.

A quantum memory system includes a chalcogenide optical fiber link, a magnetic field generation unit and a pump laser. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a photon receiving end opposite a photon output end and is positioned within a magnetic field of the magnetic field generation unit when the magnetic field generation unit generates the magnetic field. The pump laser is optically coupled to the photon receiving end of the chalcogenide optical fiber link. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a core doped with a rare-earth element dopant. The rare-earth element dopant is configured to absorb a storage photon traversing the chalcogenide optical fiber link upon receipt of a first pump pulse output by the pump laser. Further, the rare-earth element dopant is configured to release the storage photon upon receipt of a second pump pulse output by the pump laser.

A quantum memory system includes a chalcogenide optical fiber link, a magnetic field generation unit and a pump laser. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a photon receiving end opposite a photon output end and is positioned within a magnetic field of the magnetic field generation unit when the magnetic field generation unit generates the magnetic field. The pump laser is optically coupled to the photon receiving end of the chalcogenide optical fiber link. The chalcogenide optical fiber link includes a core doped with a rare-earth element dopant. The rare-earth element dopant is configured to absorb a storage photon traversing the chalcogenide optical fiber link upon receipt of a first pump pulse output by the pump laser. Further, the rare-earth element dopant is configured to release the storage photon upon receipt of a second pump pulse output by the pump laser.

Boron-containing network sulfide glass which may be useful in IR transmitting applications, such as IR optics, laser or fiber amplifiers doped with rare earths with emission in the near IR, and methods of making the same.