X-ray and infrared photo-relaxations in glasses: a structural study

Glasses are ubiquitous in our everyday life and play a key role in many scientific and industrial applications. Chalcogenide glasses are a family of semiconductors which are highly photosensitive: visible or NIR photons can lead, for example, to modifications of the bandgap (photodarkening) and photo-expansion. With this proposal, we want to explore the structural modifications in some chalcogenide glasses exposed to visible and near infrared photons through x-ray diffuse total scattering. We will study glasses irradiated at different doses and compare the structural effects of excitons, radiolysis, and knock-on events.