Chalcogenide Glasses Market Size - By Type, Application, End Use Industry, Growth Forecast, 2025 - 2034

Chalcogenide glasses Market Size

The global chalcogenide glasses market was estimated at USD 300.4 million in 2024. The market is expected to grow from USD 319.9 million in 2025 to USD 573.5 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 6.7%.
 

The market is one of the fastest growing due to increased research and development in photonics and infrared optics as well as the use of telecommunications and sensing technologies. Sectors such as telecommunications and optics are advancing in technology which increases the demand of infrared detectors, thereby increasing the usage of amorphous semiconductors. Chalcogenide glass has been utilized to construct lenses, waveguides, and optical fibers for middle and far infrared applications that are specifically used in defense and biomedical optics. The increase in manufacturing chalcogenide glass consumer electronics is impacting the market.
 

The integration of thermal imagers and environmental monitoring devices in mobile phones increases the demand for infrared emitting material. Moreover, there is a shift in focus to functional integration and miniaturization of photonic devices which require materials with superior thermal stability, nonlinear optics, and imaging capabilities- defining traits of chalcogenide glass.
 

Owing to their use in military and security optics, chalcogenides are more widely applied in the preparation of windows and lenses for IR optics. The classical windows used with industrial-grade and research-grade optical systems are simple to construct from chalcogenide materials owing to their transmission in the mid and far infrared range (2 to 12 microns). This makes a critical contribution to the effectiveness of night vision systems, thermal imaging devices, missile guidance systems, and surveillance equipment.
 

Most countries in North America as well as European and Asian countries are increasing their defense budgets to enhance their military and border security infrastructure. Further, in comparison with other materials, especially germanium, chalcogenide glass is economically more favorable because of greater transmission range, lower weight, and cost. As geopolitical conflicts and motives coupled with national security threats remain, there is an ongoing requirement for remotely controlled precision-guided weapons and surveillance systems which chalcogenide-based parts will be increasingly needed for.
 

The growth of the chalcogenide glass market is largely driven by the expansion of fiber optic and photonic sensing technologies. Chalcogenide glass is known to have some of the most distinctive features like a high refractive index and considerable nonlinearity which makes it an excellent candidate for photonic devices, sensors and mid-infrared optical fibers. These fibers are very important for applications in environmental monitoring, chemical sensing, disease diagnosis, and medicine, especially those needing the identification of certain gases and compounds with strong infrared absorption spectrums.
 

Chalcogenide Glasses Market Trends

Rising demand for infrared optics in defense and surveillance: Advancements in defense and surveillance systems have increased the IR optical components market which is contributing to the growth of the chalcogenide glass market. Chalcogenide glasses contain constituents like sulfur, selenium, and tellurium, which provide extensive IR bandwidth transmission as they cover the more useful ranges of mid-wave infrared (3-5 µm) and long-wave infrared (8-12 µm) regions. Thus, chalcogenide glasses are well-suited for thermal imaging, night vision, and IR sensor technologies. These applications are important in modern warfare where high resolution imaging in complete darkness or through fog, smoke, and other obscuration is needed for tactical dominance.
 

Hence militaries are increasingly using chalcogenide-based optics in weapon sights, thermal scopes, missile guiding systems, UAVs, and targeting systems. Moreover, chalcogenide glasses are cheaper than germanium, which is a traditional and costly IR optical material and are also less susceptible to thermal lensing due to having lower thermo-optic coefficients. The balance between effectiveness and cost is valued more by defense departments looking to mass produce night vision equipment and compact imaging sensors to distribute among their forces.
 

The investment on chalcogenide components for optics systems is growing internationally due to the geopolitical tensions and the military spending by the US, China, India, Israel and other NATO allies. The incorporation of AI-based Object Identification and Image Processing in Real-Time Within Infrared (IR) Systems) increases the need for high-purity, low-dispersion chalcogenide glasses as the demands for clarity and responsiveness in the optics escalate. There is a shift among the defense forces towards streamlined systems, both manned and unmanned, thus requiring drones and soldiers to be miniaturized.
 

Increasing adoption in phase change memory technologies: With their critical application in phase change memory (PCM) technology, which is expected to replace flash and DRAM memory, chalcogenide glasses are transforming data storage. The primary advantage of chalcogenide-based phase change materials is their capability of alternate non crystalline phases (amorphous) to flow with the application of accurate heat pulses.
 

Ge?Sb?Te? (GST) is one of the most widely used compounds with good phase-change characteristics and thermal stability and serves as an alloy for PCMs. Coupled with the explosion of data worldwide with artificial intelligence, edge computing, self-driving cars, and high frequency trading, older memory technologies are getting pushed to extremes with respect to speed, scalability, and energy efficiency.
 

Trade Impact

The Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods had a notable impact on the chalcogenide glasses market, which depends heavily on critical materials like germanium and gallium for infrared optics and photonic applications. Tariffs of up to 178% were placed on optical products such as lenses and frames, significantly increasing production costs and disrupting established supply chains. Chinese exporters, in turn, placed export restrictions on germanium and gallium, the gallium producer where China enjoys dominating market control (holding roughly 98%), thus creating a global supply shock.
 

Consequently, the unsustainable business environment drove the price of germanium up by 75% in 2023, placing severe financial pressure on U.S. manufacturers who spent approximately USD 45 million on germanium and USD 110 million on gallium arsenide in 2023. The constrained supply of these materials to manufacturers forced them to seek alternate sources of the reliable materials, curtailing production while costs of industrial goods increased.
 

These trade disputes were aggravated by China’s further economic retaliations. China imposed heightened tariffs of 10–15% on U.S. imports of agriculture and industrial goods and placed American companies, Illumina and PVH Corp., on a trade blacklist. The European Union and Canada also placed counter tariffs on several U.S. products. The combined impact of tariffs and retaliatory actions continues to redefine this advanced optics industry.
 

Chalcogenide Glasses Market Analysis

The demand for high-performance infrared optics is exponentially growing among the chalcogenide glass consumers. This aids in the construction of airborne and ground-based equipment which is compatible with night vision systems, missile guidance, and surveillance platforms. Chalcogenide optics are heavily used in these eagle eye devices.
 

At the same time, there is relatively higher competition in the semiconductor and electronics industries because of the pivotal materials used in the development of phase change memory (PCM), the new age non-volatile memory device technology. Traditional NAND flash and other non-volatile memory devices face stiff competition from PCM, which offers neuromorphic computing and AI-specific chipsets.
 

The chalcogenide glasses market from glasses segment held a 68.5% share in 2024 and was valued at USD 205.8 million in 2024. Chalcogenide glasses are still widely used because of their broad IR transparency and ease of fabrication, particularly in defense and industry optics. However, the situation is changing for antimony-based chalcogenide glasses due to their exceptional thermal stability as well as favorable phase change properties which make them ideal for data storage and photonic switching devices.
 

The chalcogenide glasses market from optical components segment was valued at USD 96 million in 2024 and gained 7.6% CAGR from 2025 to 2034 with a market share of 32%.
 

Chalcogenide lenses and windows used in thermal imaging and IR surveillance make optical components market leaders in the defense and industrial sectors. The ability to transmit mid-to-far IR signals with minimal loss, particularly for sensing and medical diagnostics add onto the growing traction of chalcogenide materials fiber optics. As the electronics sector pivots towards non-volatile memory technologies, high-speed, scalable PCM devices become available, making them one of the fastest growing applications.
 

By end use industry, the chalcogenide glasses market from defense and security segment held USD 86.9 million in 2024, and it is expected to expand to 7.2% of CAGR during the forecast period. Sophisticated surveillance and infrared optics target acquisition and night vision systems are being integrated by militaries across the world which makes defense and security an end-use industry. Growth of the electronics and semiconductor industry is being facilitated with the adoption of chalcogenide-based phase change material technologies and integrated photonic devices. IR and thermal imaging diagnostics are enabling non-invasive methods in surgery, which is revolutionizing healthcare and medicine.
 

U.S. Chalcogenide glasses market was valued at USD 75 million in 2024 and expected to grow at a 6.9% CAGR from 2025-2034.
 

The entire US is advanced in military and homeland security applications IR optical systems which leads to the increased demand in performance chalcogenide lenses and coatings. In addition, the region’s appetite for chalcogenide thin films and alloys is increasing with technology in the phase change memory and neuromorphic computing semiconductors developed by North American technologists and semiconductor manufacturers.
 

With the abundant government funding for research in photonics and optics, there is a further regional growth focus on the domestic fabrication of semiconductors changes based on the CHIPS act. Furthermore, the focus of innovation in the region alongside collaborations from defense contractors with academic institutions and glass manufacturers drives the adaptation of chalcogenide-based solutions technologies.
 

Chalcogenide Glasses Market Share

Top 5 companies include AGC, Amorphous Materials, CNGE, LTS Research Laboratorie, and Luoyang Dingming Optical Technology have established a presence which allows them to penetrate the chalcogenide glasses industry. The chalcogenide glass market is driven by a mixture of global marketers and more local region-based specialists for domain specialization, IR functionality, end-use verticals, and areas of supply.
 

Within these market boundaries, AGC is also one of the main players because of its considerable stake owing to proprietary advanced glass materials and its role in the optical and semiconductor domains. Although traditionally not considered a powerhouse in chalcogenide glasses, AGC is trying to increase its scope with highly precise IR optics and photonic systems through its extensive R&D infrastructure and a customer base. 
 

Amorphous Materials, a US-based company, dominates the chalcogenide glasses market as they hold a leading market share by far for high purity chalcogenide glasses for IR optical components used in defense, surveillance, and medical imaging systems. Their dominance is because of defending contracts with military partners as well as numerous research laboratories which grants them sustained revenues from North America.
 

CNGE and Nanjing CNGEIR Technology are located in China and are emerging players in military optics, thermal imaging, and photonic circuits due to the growing domestic demand in China. They are trying to become global leaders by heavily investing in vertically integrated manufacturing and capacity expansion. In the Asia-Pacific region, they remain a strong contender due to their reputable competitive pricing as well as regional localization. 
 

LTS Research Laboratories, based in the US, provides an academic niche market with specialty chalcogenide compounds and elements needed for research and precision optics. In the grand picture of the market, LTC has lesser stakes, but makes an impact by supplying materials aimed towards customization and complex optical research which are rarely available for prototyping. 
 

Luoyang Dingming Optical Technology, is assisting in the mid-IR optics boom by exporting at a very aggressive pace coupled with developmental focus on technological advancements towards lower cost germanium and arsenic glass alternatives.
 

Chalcogenide Glasses Market Companies

Major players operating in the chalcogenide glasses industry are:
 

• SCHOTT is a world-trusted manufacturer of specialty glass and materials technologies. With their decades of experience in developing infrared (IR) glass and chalcogenide glass materials, SCHOTT offers industry-grade IR-transmitting glasses such as IRG (Infrared Glass) series that fulfill the requirements of thermal imaging, night vision, and industrial IR sensing applications. In addition, SCHOTT chalcogenide glasses are devoid of hygroscopic properties while possessing high optical homogeneity, and compatibility with precision molding processes, which makes them preferred in defense, medical imaging, and sensing applications. SCHOTT stands out from their competitors because of their sustainable development policy which features arsenic-free and militarily compliant formulations, willingly adopting strict European regulations and green optics initiatives.
   
• Shape Optics Technologies Located in Europe, Shape Optics Technologies focuses on providing custom optical solutions. Although it is a smaller company compared to multinational corporations, it is essential to the OEM optics supply chains for defense, photonics, and industrial automation. The company provides mid-IR and near-IR components, using chalcogenide glasses, and offers design flexibility ranging from low to medium volume custom projects. It can provide rapid lead times, flexibility in materials and geometries, and tailored solutions which are attractive to development R&D institutes and precociously non-standard IR tech firms.
   
• Vitron Sprecialwerkstoffe GmbH is well known for the invention of environmentally friendly high-purity chalcogenide glasses. The company is focused on the arsenic-free compositions and advanced material formulations which are designed for long-term stability, biocompatibility, high transmission in the 2–12 μm IR range, and served sectors medical diagnostics, sensor technology, industrial gas analysis, environmental monitoring and other vitron sectors. Spectroscopy instruments, thermal sensors, and integrated optics are just a few of the many fields in which the glass products are technically utilized.
   
• Wavelength Opto-Electronic is one of the major players in the chalcogenide glass supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region. The firm offers diverse products in the infrared optics subfield, including chalcogenide-based lenses and windows for defense, industrial, and healthcare systems. Due to Wavelength Opto-Electronics’ proximity to important semiconductor and optics industry regions, the firm can provide low-cost, high-quality solutions with rapid delivery to customers in the region. Its competitive advantage is being vertically integrated into its operations, enabling the firm to provide both standard and tailored optics across multiple IR wavelength ranges. Advanced expansion is being pursued through collaboration with defense-focused business contractors and sensor designers based in Southeast Asia and Middle East regions.
   

 Chalcogenide Glasses Industry News

• In February 2025, the Bruker Corporation reported that they have successfully developed and tested the world’s first 1.3 GHz high-resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometer. This revolutionary design has a superconducting, persistent, standard-bore 54 mm NMR magnet with a 30.5 Tesla field strength and incorporates a new ReBCO high-temperature superconductor (HTS) insert.
   
• In February 2023, Fujikura reported the shipment of tape-sized reels of rare-earth based high temperature superconducting tapes onto Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) in mass production quantities. CFS is in the process of developing the world's first commercially relevant fusion machine which makes a qualifying Fujikura's HTS tapes for their ultra-high magnet field dependent fusion machines cross-current gapped machines.
   
• In March 2022, High Temperature Superconductors, a UK company focused on YBCO and REBCO-based conductors, continued to impact niche markets including sophisticated scientific instruments, experimental fusion systems, and custom magnet systems. The company worked together with European research and national laboratories which enabled the company to best market itself as a dependable vendor of tailored superconducting technologies. 
   

This chalcogenide glasses market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue (USD Million) & volume (Kilo Tons) from 2021 to 2034, for the following segments:

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Market, By Type

• Glasses
  • As-S
  • As-Se
  • As-Te
  • Others 
• Antimony-Based Chalcogenide Glasses
  • Sb-Se
  • Sb-Te
  • Others
• Gallium-Based Chalcogenide Glasses
  • Ga-La-S (GLS)
  • Ga-Ge-S
  • Others
• Others

Market, By Application

• Optical components   
  • Infrared lenses
  • Windows
  • Filters
  • Prisms
  • Others 
• Fiber optics    
  • Infrared fibers
  • Fiber sensors
  • Fiber lasers
  • Others
• Phase change memory devices         
• Photonic integrated circuits  
  • Waveguides
  • Resonators
  • Modulators
  • Others
• Sensors and detectors           
  • Infrared sensors
  • Chemical sensors
  • Biosensors
  • Others
• Others            

Market, By End Use Industry

• Defense and security 
  • Thermal imaging
  • Night vision
  • Surveillance systems
  • Others 
• Healthcare and medical        
  • Medical imaging
  • Diagnostic equipment
  • Laser surgery
  • Others
• Industrial        
  • Process monitoring
  • Quality control
  • Predictive maintenance
  • Others
• Telecommunications 
  • Optical communication
  • Signal processing
  • Data transmission
  • Others
• Electronics and semiconductor          
  • Memory devices
  • Integrated circuits
  • Photonic devices
  • Others
• Automotive    
  • Driver assistance
  • Thermal cameras
  • Sensors
  • Others
• Energy
  • Solar cells
  • Thermoelectric devices
  • Energy storage
  • Others
• Others

The above information is provided for the following regions and countries:

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Netherlands
  • Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Rest of Asia Pacific 
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
  • Rest of Latin America 
• MEA
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Rest of MEA