Abstract:
High purity synthetic vitreous silica particles, characterized in that it is derived from an alkali metal silicate and has a total metal impurity content of 1 μg/g or less, and in particular has an oxygen deficient defect. The melt of the high purity synthetic vitreous silica particles exhibits a high viscosity similar to that of the melt of natural quartz, and the above synthetic vitreous silica has a high purity similar to that of a conventional synthetic quartz and can be produced at a reduced cost.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for the production of opaque quartz glass wherein a blank is made from synthetic SiO2 crystals and heated to form a blank body made of opaque quartz glass at a given vitrification temperature. A method for the production of pure, opaque quartz glass is disclosed wherein said quartz glass has a homogeneous pore distribution and a high density, a high viscosity and a lower tendency to devitrify. According to the invention, the SiO2 crystals are formed from an at least partially porous agglomerate of SiO2 primary particles (21; 31) having a specific surface (according to BET) between 1.5 m /g and 40 m /g with a stamping density of at least 0.8 g/cm . SiO2 granulate (21; 31) suitable for use in performing the procedure is characterized in that it is composed of an at least partially porous agglomerate of SiO2 primary particles and has a specific surface (according to BET) between 1.5 m /g and 40 m /g in addition to a stamping density of at least 0.6 g/cm .
Abstract:
A process for synthesizing poreless quartz glass at low temperatures, which comprises uniformly dispersing, in a sol solution prepared by hydrolyzing a metal alkoxide, 0.2 to 5 mol, per mol of the metal alkoxide, of superfine silica powder to gel, drying the obtained gel and sintering the dried gel. This process makes possibel the production of quartz glass of a practical size at low cost which has been believed to be impossible by the conventional sol-gel process. A larger dry gel can be obtained by adjusting the pH to 3 to 6 with a base. The yield of the dry gel can be improved by controlling the opening ratio of the lid of the sol solution-retaining vessel to 50% or less upon gelling and preparation of the dry gel, setting the gelling temperature at 5 to 60oC and the drying temperature at 20 to 120oC, and controlling the temperture-raising rate (from the gelling temperature to the drying temperature) at 120oC/hr or less. Further the yield upon sintering and the quality of the resulting quartz glass can be improved by raising the temperature upon sintering the dry gel to a predetermined temperature between 20 and 400oC at a rate of 400oC/hr or less, conducting the treatment of holding the gel at the same temperature for one hour or longer at least once to remove absorbed water, then raising the temperature to a predetermined temperature of 400 to 1100oC at a rate of 30 to 400oC/hr, conducting the treatment of holding it at the same temperature for 3 hours or longer at least once to remove carbon, then raising the temperature to a predetermined temperature between 1000 and 1400oC at a rate of 30 to 400oC/hr to remove any pores.
Abstract:
Layered glass structures and fabrication methods are described. The methods include depositing soot on a dense glass substrate to form a composite structure and sintering the composite structure to form a layered glass structure. The dense glass substrate may be derived from an optical fiber preform that has been modified to include a planar surface. The composite structure may include one or more soot layers. The layered glass structure may be formed by combining multiple composite structures to form a stack, followed by sintering and fusing the stack. The layered glass structure may further be heated to softening and drawn to control linear dimensions. The layered glass structure or drawn layered glass structure may be configured as a planar waveguide.
Abstract:
An active optical fibre, including: a core; an inner cladding substantially surrounding the core, whereby the core and the inner cladding form an area configured to propagate pump radiation; an outer cladding comprised of at least a third material with at least a third refractive index substantially surrounding the inner cladding, the third refractive index being smaller than the second refractive index, whereby the outer cladding confines pump radiation to the core and the inner cladding; and a coating comprised of a thermally conductive material substantially surrounding the outer cladding, wherein the inner cladding is configured to reduce impact of spatial hole-burning on absorption of the pump radiation as the pump radiation propagates through the active optical fibre, and wherein the thermally conductive material of the coating supports a reduced temperature increase between the area and an outer surface of the coating.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an optical fiber preform (20) comprising a primary preform (21) and one or more purified silica-based overclad layers (22) surrounding said primary preform (21), the purified silica-based overclad layers (22) comprising lithium and aluminium, and having a ratio between lithium concentration [Li] and aluminium concentration [Al] satisfying the following inequality (Formula (I)).
Abstract:
Process for preparing a silicon dioxide granule having a specific surface area of less than 1 m 2 /g and a proportion of impurities of less than 50 ppm, in which a) a silicon dioxide powder with a tamped density of 15 to 190 g/l, b) is compacted to slugs which are subsequently crushed, the slug fragments having a tamped density of 210 to 800 g/l, and c) the slug fragments are treated with one or more reactive compounds at 400 to 1100 °C.
Abstract:
Process for the production of monoliths by means of the sol-gel process, comprising the following steps: a. hydrolysis of an alkoxide in aqueous solution to form a hydrolysate and optionally evaporation to optimum concentration of the same, b. addition of an oxide prepared by the pyrogenic route, c. mixing of the hydrolysate of the alkoxide with the oxide prepared by the pyrogenic route to form a colloidal sol, d. optional removal of coarse contents from the colloidal sol, e. gelling of the colloidal sol in a mould, f. optional replacement of the water contained in the resulting aerogel by an organic solvent, g. drying of the aerogel, h. heat treatment of the dried aerogel, the coarse content being removed from the colloidal sol.
Abstract:
Fused silica stepper lens for photolithographic application are disclosed which are resistant to laser-induced damage, specifically, compaction or densification which can lead to an increase in the optical path length of the lens. The figure compares the phase front distortions of a standard fused silica with the phase front distortions observed in two inventive stepper lens fused silica.