Selenide glass fibers for biochemical infrared sensing

This chapter discusses the use of selenide glass fibers for biochemical sensing. Selenide glasses combine two unique properties: (1) high transparency in the mid-infrared, (2) excellent rheological properties for molding and drawing, which make them the most suitable candidate materials for infrared fiber technology. In particular, chalcogenide glasses exhibit high transparency over the spectral domain corresponding to molecular vibrations and are therefore of great interest for optical sensing applications. Here we review the basic principles of fiber-based spectroscopy and the properties of chalcogenide glasses such as selenides. We then review the state of the art in applications of fiber evanescent wave spectroscopy to chemical and biomedical sensing.