Infrared plastic optics and photonic devices using chalcogenide hybrid inorganic/organic polymers via inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur

Since the invention of inverse vulcanization and high sulfur content polymers, termed Chalcogenide Hybrid Inorganic/Organic Polymers, the application of these polymers as optical materials for IR optics & photonics has garnered interest from groups around the world. Earlier publications and review papers have focused on the polymer chemistry aspects of inverse vulcanization, however, recent work in the past decade has seen tremendous new advances in polymer processing, rheology, and optical component (nano-micro) fabrication of lenses and photonic devices across the infrared spectrum. There is an urgent need for a review surveying both new polymer chemistry and polymer engineering aspects of this important new field, for the integration of these new optical polymers into imaging, communications, and sensing systems. In this submission, we review the fabrication and polymer processing of inverse vulcanized organopolysulfides made from elemental sulfur for IR optics and photonics. We survey recent work in the SWIR and MWIR spectrum for the development of integrated photonics devices using high sulfur content polymers, along with the fabrication and testing of LWIR bulk plastic optics using this new class of optical polymers.