This invited paper analyzes supply chain risk, pricing volatility, and geopolitical pressures affecting cerium, gallium, indium, and iridium in the display market. It evaluates primary production, recycling streams, export controls, and demand growth across ITO, IGZO, OLED, and compound semiconductor applications to assess long term material availability.

Presented at SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing 2025, this paper examines the availability, pricing trends, and export controls affecting key feedstocks used in chalcogenide glass infrared optics. It provides a detailed review of supply chain risk, material selection strategy, and the evolving impact of germanium, gallium, tellurium, and other critical elements on cost sensitive IR optical systems.