The field of heavy metal halide glasses (namely fluorides) is only ten years old now, but it has developed rapidly since the discovery of fluorozirconate glasses by the group at the University of Rennes (France). The main reason for this was the early demonstration of the enormous potential of such glasses for use as long-haul ultra-low loss middle infrared waveguide materials, aided in part by the scientific interest held by their unusual short range structures. As a result, significant research efforts were initiated in the academic, government and industrial sectors in Europe, the United...