Rare earth-doped, stabilized cadmium halide glasses

A transparent glass exhibiting excellent transmission far into the infrared region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum consisting essentially, expressed in terms of mole percent, of 42-55% CdF.sub.2 and/or CdCl.sub.2, 30-40% NaF and/or NaCl, 2-20% total of BaF.sub.2 and/or BaCl.sub.2 +KF and/or KCl, consisting of 0-15% BaF.sub.2 and/or BaCl.sub.2 and 0-7% KF and/or KCl, 1-12% total of at least one stabilizing metal halide in the indicated proportion selected from the group consisting of 0-10% LiX, 0-10% BeX.sub.2, 0-10% MgX.sub.2, 0-10% MnX.sub.2, 0-12% PbX.sub.2, 0-10% COX.sub.2, 0-7% TlX, and 0-10% ZnX.sub.2, wherein X is at least one halide selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, and bromide, and 0.005-0.5% ReX .sub.3, wherein Re is at least one rare earth metal selected from the lanthanide series of rare earth metals and X is at least one halide selected from the group consisting of fluoride, chloride, and bromide, and wherein up to 10% total of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Cd, Ba, Na, and K can be incorporated as a bromide.