A method is provided for producing a glass ceramic element with a patterned coating is provided. The method includes: providing a glass ceramic element with a coating which is at least partially light-blocking and preferably opaque in the visible spectral range; irradiating the glass ceramic element with a pulsed laser beam on the face provided with the coating so that the coating is removed by ablation; during irradiating the laser beam is directed over the surface of the glass ceramic element so that a portion of the coating is removed which has a greater lateral extent than the diameter of the laser beam; and once the coating has been removed, irradiating the glass ceramic with the laser in the region where the coating has been removed, thereby optically modifying the glass ceramic in the irradiated region.

A structure can comprise a substrate and a composite coating. The composite coating can be formed over a surface of the substrate. The composite coating can include one or more nanoparticles within an oxide matrix. The nanoparticles can be formed of a temperature-dependent Mott insulator having a phase transition temperature. At a temperature below the phase transition temperature, the composite coating can transmit light in a first wavelength range, and at a temperature above the phase transition temperature, the composite coating can block light in the first wavelength range. For example, the structure can be used as a smart 10 window to help regulate heating of building interiors due to solar radiation. The composite coating can be formed via a short-duration, high-temperature heating pulse, for example, at least 1500 K for less than 60 seconds.

Glass-based articles having sections of different thicknesses where a maximum central tension in a thinner section is less than that of a thicker section. The articles comprise an alkali metal oxide having a independent nonzero concentrations that vary along at least a portion of the thickness of each section. Consumer electronic products may comprise the glass-based articles having sections of different thicknesses.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a quartz glass body comprising the process steps i.) Providing a silicon dioxide granulate obtainable from a silicon dioxide powder, wherein the silicon dioxide granulate has a larger particle size than the silicon dioxide powder, ii.) Making a glass melt out of silicon dioxide granulate and iii.) Making a quartz glass body out of at least part of the glass melt, wherein the melting crucible has at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein at least part of the glass melt is removed via the melting crucible outlet. The invention further relates to a quartz glass body which is obtainable by this process. The invention further relates to a light guide, an illuminant and a formed body, which are each obtainable by further processing of the quartz glass body.

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a quartz glass body comprising the process steps i.) Providing a silicon dioxide granulate, wherein the silicon dioxide granulate was made from pyrogenic silicon dioxide powder and the silicon dioxide granulate has a BET surface area in a range from 20 to 40 m.sup.2/g, ii.) Making a glass melt out of silicon dioxide granulate in an oven and iii.) Making a quartz glass body out of at least part of the glass melt, wherein the oven has at least a first and a further chamber connected to one another via a passage, wherein the temperature in the first chamber is lower than the temperature in the further chambers. The invention further relates to a quartz glass body which is obtainable by this process. The invention further relates to a light guide, an illuminant and a formed body, which are each obtainable by further processing of the quartz glass body.

A fiber sensor includes an optical fiber configured for operation at a wavelength from about 800 nm to about 1600 nm. The optical fiber includes a cladding that is defined by a fiber outer diameter and a core that is surrounded by the cladding. The core of the optical fiber has a Rayleigh scattering coefficient, .sub.s, that is controlled by controlling a concentration of one or more dopants in the core. The Rayleigh scattering coefficient is tuned to be within a predetermined range of an optimum Rayleigh scattering coefficient for a given total length, L, of the optical fiber. The predetermined range is from about 70% of the optimum .sub.s to about 130% of the optimum .sub.s.

A method of making a copper-doped glass comprising placing a target glass in a container, placing a target glass in a container, surrounding the target glass with a powder mixture comprised of fused silica (SiO.sub.2) powder and copper sulfide (Cu.sub.2S) powder, such that both the target glass and the surrounding powder are contained in the container, and heating the container and the target glass and the surrounding powder mixture to a temperature of between 800 C. and 1150 C.

A copper dopant delivery powder comprising a fused silica powder and a Cu.sub.2S powder. A method of making the copper dopant delivery powder. A method of making a copper-doped glass comprising placing a target glass in a container, packing a composite SiO.CuS dopant powder around the target glass and heating the container and SiO.CuS dopant powder to a temperature of between 800 C. and 1150 C. A copper-doped glass comprising a glass comprising copper-doping wherein the copper-doped glass was formed by covering the glass with a fused silica powder and a Cu.sub.2S powder, wherein the fused silica powder and the Cu.sub.2S powder are mixed in varying ratios of Cu.sub.2S to silica represented by the formula (SiO.sub.2).sub.(1-x)(Cu.sub.2S).sub.x and heating to a temperature of between 800 C. and 1150 C.

Near-infrared shielding includes a glass material. The shielding provides transmittance at wavelengths between 390 to 700 nm, but near infrared absorbing species are distributed throughout the glass material and the shielding blocks light in the near infrared range. Further, the glass material has a near zero or negative coefficient of thermal expansion, allowing the glass material to heat up when the shielding is blocking a near infrared laser, without expanding much.

A pelletized expanded glass material is provided, which is particularly suitable as a growth support for microorganisms, especially for use in a biogas plant or an anaerobic sewage treatment plant. The production process of the invention for the pelletized expanded glass material contains the steps of: mixing a ground glass, an expanding agent and a binder to give a starting mixture. The starting mixture is pelletized to give ground glass pellet green bodies. The ground glass pellet green bodies are foamed to give expanded glass pellet particles at temperatures of 600 to 950 C. Accordingly, especially in the production of the starting mixture, minerals and or trace elements are added, which serve especially for the nutrient supply of microorganisms used in the biogas plant or the anaerobic sewage treatment plant.