XPS Analysis of Surface Chemical Transformations in ZBLAN Glass under Thermal and Vibrational Stimuli

TL;DR

This study uses XPS to investigate how thermal and vibrational stimuli affect surface chemical and structural transformations in ZBLAN glass, revealing increased surface ordering without chemical state changes.

Contribution

It provides new insights into surface structural evolution of ZBLAN under thermomechanical stimuli, linking processing conditions to surface ordering.

Findings

Surface ordering increases with temperature and vibration.

High vibration at 400°C causes most pronounced changes.

No change in elemental oxidation states detected.

Abstract

ZBLAN glass is highly sensitive to thermal and mechanical stimuli, yet the associated surface chemical changes remain poorly understood. X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) measurements were performed on multiple ZBLAN samples representing distinct structural states: fully amorphous, incipiently crystalline, and highly crystalline, produced through thermal treatments at 250C and 350C and vibration-assisted processing at 400C under low (L2) and high (H5) vibration levels. High-resolution F 1s, Zr 3d, Hf 4f, Ba 3d, La 3d, and Na 1s spectra show progressive peak sharpening and intensity enhancement with increasing temperature and vibration, indicating reduced surface disorder and greater local structural ordering. The most pronounced changes occur under high vibration at 400C. No binding-energy shifts were detected, confirming that all elements retain their expected oxidation states and that the observed evolution reflects structural rather than chemical changes. These results provide direct evidence that thermomechanical input enhances surface ordering in ZBLAN and clarify its role in crystallization behavior relevant to infrared optical applications.