Gallium sulde glasses were prepared in the RSGa 2 S 3 (RCa, Sr, Ba) systems. Respective glass forming regions are 67.570.0 mol÷ CaS, 63.868.8 mol÷ SrS and 60.073.8 mol÷ BaS. Transmission spectra in the visible region, refractive index and glass transition and onset crystallization temperatures were measured for representative compositions of SrS and BaSGa 2 S 3 transparent glasses. Raman spectroscopy reveals that RSGa 2 S 3 glasses consist of the network of GeS 4 tetrahedra due to the RS addition. The compositional dependence of molar volume indicates a plateau region at 6570 mol÷ RS in SrS and BaSGa 2 S 3 glasses. The morphology of sulfur complex anions in RSGa 2 S 3 glass melts is discussed using the sulfurtogallium ratio as a variable parameter. The combined results suggest that welldeveloped glass networks are formed near 66.7 mol÷ RS (S/Ga2.5) in the SrS and BaSGa 2 S 3 systems. [Received November 1, 2002; Accepted February 7, 2003] Keywords : Sulde, Alkaline earth, Gallium, Glass forming region, Structure, Absorption edge 1. Introduction Ga 2 S 3 based glasses are recently of interest for passive and active optical materials in the near and midinfrared. 1),2) Ga 2 S 3 based glasses have relatively short absorption edges, e.g., 450500 nm, good thermal and chemicalstabilities and high rareearth solubility in comparison with other sul de glasses. Ga 2 S 3 does not form a glass on its own. The glass forming region reported previously extends to the fol lowing binary systems: L 2 S 3 Ga 2 S 3 (LY, LaEr, except for Eu), 3) GeS 2 Ga 2 S 3 , 4) Na 2 SGa 2 S 3 , 5) PbSGa 2 S 3 6) and BaSGa 2 S 3 . 7) New glass compositions are still demanded for optical devices in both thin lm and ber forms. There are only a few reports on glass formation and properties in the RSGa 2 S 3 (RCa, Sr, Ba) systems.In this study glass forming region is determined by con ventional meltquenching method in the RSGa 2 S 3 (RCa, Sr, Ba) systems. The optical and thermal properties of the prepared glasses were compared to other sulde glasses. The structure of RSGa 2 S 3 glasses is discussed in terms of Raman spectra and molar volume of glass samples.