Experimental Setup for Investigating Photoinduced Dynamics in Chalcogenide Glasses

Photoinduced defects in glasses offer a means to manipulate their material properties, from brittleness to ductility. However, the precise nature and characteristics of these defects are still under investigation. Understanding these aspects is essential for tailoring irradiation protocols to achieve desired glass states. This thesis aims to explore the potential of such protocols by employing dynamic light-scattering (DLS) techniques to investigate the atomic dynamics of glasses during irradiation. Specifically, an innovative pump-probe DLS setup has been developed to examine the plasticity of chalcogenide glasses by analyzing their response to irradiation-induced defects. This setup characterizes the photoinduced structural relaxation, utilizing a light source at the optical band edge to create defects and a 1064 nm laser to probe them. The objective is to understand the mechanical response of glasses from low-density defects to the yield point under high-density conditions. By providing detailed insights into the resultant changes in the dynamical properties of glasses, this investigation seeks to advance our understanding of these processes.