Embodiments of the invention include a transparent material such as glass including a metal such as bismuth, particles of luminescent material such as a nitride phosphor disposed in the transparent material, and a coating disposed over the particles of luminescent material. The coating is formed to prevent reaction between the particles of luminescent material and the metal. The coating may be silica.

Methods for synthesizing fibers having nanoparticles therein are provided, as well as preforms and fibers incorporating nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may include one or more rare earth ions selected based on fluorescence at eye-safer wavelengths, surrounded by a low-phonon energy host. Nanoparticles that are not doped with rare earth ions may also be included as a co-dopant to help increase solubility of nanoparticles doped with rare earth ions in the silica matrix. The nanoparticles may be incorporated into a preform, which is then drawn to form fiber. The fibers may beneficially be incorporated into lasers and amplifiers that operate at eye safer wavelengths. Lasers and amplifiers incorporating the fibers may also beneficially exhibit reduced Stimulated Brillouin Scattering.

An optical waveguide element includes: a cladding portion made of silica-based glass; and a plurality of optical waveguides positioned in the cladding portion and made of silica-based glass in which ZrO.sub.2 crystal particles are dispersed. The optical waveguide element is a planar lightwave circuit. The plurality of optical waveguides configure an arrayed waveguide grating element.

Provided is a wavelength conversion member that can be readily adjusted in chromaticity and can be increased in productivity and a production method for the wavelength conversion member. A wavelength conversion member 1 having a first principal surface 1a and a second principal surface 1b opposed to each other includes a glass matrix 2 and phosphor particles 3 disposed in the glass matrix 2, wherein concentrations of the phosphor particles 3 in the first principal surface 1a and in the second principal surface 1b are higher than concentrations of the phosphor particles 3 in surface layer bottom planes 1c and 1d located 20 μm inward from the first principal surface 1a and 20 μm inward from the second principal surface 1b, respectively.

An antimicrobial article that includes: an antimicrobial composite region that includes a matrix comprising a polymeric material, and a first plurality of particles within the matrix. The particles include a phase-separable glass with a copper-containing antimicrobial agent. The antimicrobial composite region can be a film containing the first plurality of particles that is subsequently laminated to a bulk element. The first plurality of particles can also be pressed into the film or a bulk element to define an antimicrobial composite region. An exposed surface portion of the antimicrobial composite region can exhibit at least a log 2 reduction in a concentration of at least one of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria under a Modified EPA Copper Test Protocol.

A filter has a primary structure composed of a first material with a relatively high melting point; a secondary structure composed of a second material with a lower melting point than the first material; and voids. This configuration provides the filter with controllable breathability. A gas-adsorption device including the filter can control the gas permeability rate. A vacuum insulation material including the gas-adsorption device enables the gas adsorber to selectively adsorb non-condensable gas from water-vapor-containing gas. As a result, the vacuum insulation material can be maintained at low pressure for a long period of time, thereby maintaining high insulation performance.

A multi-layer glass phosphor powder sheet and its preparation method, and a light-emitting device. The preparation method for the multi-layer glass phosphor powder sheet includes: mixing a first optical functional material, a glass powder and an organic carrier to obtain a first slurry, and mixing a second optical functional material, the glass powder and the organic carriers to obtain a second slurry; coating the first slurry on a first substrate, and drying it at a first temperature so that at least some of the organic carrier is volatilized, to obtain a first functional layer, the first temperature being lower than a softening point of the glass powder; coating the second slurry on the surface of the first functional layer, to obtain a second functional layer; and sintering the first substrate on which the functional layers are coated at a second temperature, to obtain the multi-layer glass phosphor powder sheet.

A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite includes providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region; providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity; introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison to outwardly inflate the parison against the fiber preform; and while under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity. The pressure and the second viscosity cause the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece. The consolidated workpiece is then cooled to form a glass matrix composite.

ZrO.sub.2-toughened glass ceramics having high molar fractions of tetragonal ZrO.sub.2 and fracture toughness value of greater than 1.8 MPa.Math.m.sup.1/2. The glass ceramic may also include also contain other secondary phases, including lithium silicates, that may be beneficial for toughening or for strengthening through an ion exchange process. Additional second phases may also decrease the coefficient of thermal expansion of the glass ceramic. A method of making such glass ceramics is also provided.

A method of making an antimicrobial composite article, including the steps: providing a matrix comprising a polymeric material; providing a plurality of second phase particles comprising an antimicrobial agent; melting the matrix to form a matrix melt; distributing the plurality of second phase particles in the matrix melt at a second phase volume fraction to form a composite melt; forming a composite article from the composite melt; and treating the composite article to form an antimicrobial composite article having an exterior surface comprising an exposed portion of the matrix and the plurality of second phase particles. The distributing step can employ an extrusion process. The forming a composite article step can employ an injection molding process. The treating step can employ abrading and plasma-treating the article to define the exterior surface.