A continuous sol-gel process for producing silicate-containing glasses and glass ceramics is proposed, comprising the following steps: (a) continuously feeding a silicon tetraalkoxide, a silicon alkoxide with at least one non-alcoholic functional group and an alcohol into a first reactor (R1), and at least partially hydrolyzing by the addition of a mineral acid to obtain a first product stream (A); (b) continuously providing a second product stream (B) in a second reactor (R2) by feeding a metal alkoxide component or continuously mixing an alcohol and a metal alkoxide component; (c) continuously mixing product streams (A) and (B) in a third reactor (R3) for producing a presol to obtain a third product stream (C); (d) continuously adding water or a diluted acid to the product stream (C) to obtain a sol (gelation); (e) continuously filling the emerging sol into molds to obtain an aquagel; (f) drying the aquagels to obtain xerogels; (g) sintering the xerogels to obtain silicate-containing glasses and glass ceramics.

A known method for homogenizing glass includes the following steps: providing a cylindrical blank composed of the glass, having a cylindrical outer surface which extends between a first end face and a second end face, forming a shear zone in the blank by softening a longitudinal section of the blank and subjecting it to a thermal-mechanical intermixing treatment, and moving the shear zone along the longitudinal axis of the blank. To reduce the risk of cracks and fractures during homogenizing, it is proposed that a thermal radiation dissipator is used that at least partially surrounds the shear zone, the lateral dimension of which in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the blank is greater than the shear zone and smaller than the length of the blank, the thermal radiation dissipator being moved synchronously with the shear zone along the longitudinal axis of the blank.

According to embodiments, a method of making a micro structured glass article 100 includes bundling M bare optical fibers in a fiber bundle, wherein M is an integer greater than 100. Thereafter, the fiber bundle may be inserted in a cavity of a soot preform. The soot preform may have a density of less than or equal to 1.5 g/cm3 and comprise silica-based glass soot. The soot preform and inserted fiber bundle may then be consolidated to form a microstructured glass article preform. The micro structured glass article preform may then be drawn into the microstructured glass article 100 comprising M core elements 102 embedded in a cladding matrix 104.

A silica-titania glass substrate comprising: (i) a composition comprising 5 weight percent to 10 weight percent TiO.sub.2; (ii) a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) at 20° C. in a range from −45 ppb/K to +20 ppb/K; (iii) a crossover temperature (Tzc) in a range from 10° C. to 50° C.; (iv) a slope of CTE at 20° C. in a range from 1.20 ppb/K.sup.2 to 1.75 ppb/K.sup.2; (v) a refractive index variation of less than 140 ppm; and (vi) 600 ppm OH group concentration or greater. The substrate can have a mass of 1 kg or greater and less than 0.05 gas inclusions per cubic inch via a method comprising (i) forming the substrate from soot particles comprising SiO.sub.2 and TiO.sub.2, and (ii) subjecting the substrate to an environment having an elevated temperature and an elevated pressure for a period of time until the substrate comprises less than 0.05 gas inclusions per cubic inch.

Laser waveguides, methods and systems for forming a laser waveguide are provided. The waveguide includes an inner cladding layer surrounding a central axis and a glass core surrounding and located outside of the inner cladding layer. The glass core includes a laser-active material. The waveguide includes an outer cladding layer surrounding and located outside of the glass core. The inner cladding, outer cladding and/or core may surround a hollow central channel or bore and may be annular in shape.

A method of capturing soot includes the steps: combusting a first precursor in a burner to produce a soot stream, the soot stream comprising soot and exiting the burner at an outlet; and directing a capture medium to the soot stream, the capture medium contacting the soot in an impact region, the soot having a temperature greater than 50° C. in the impact region.

Annealing treatments for modified titania-silica glasses and the glasses produced by the annealing treatments. The annealing treatments include an isothermal hold that facilitates equalization of non-uniformities in fictive temperature caused by non-uniformities in modifier concentration in the glasses. The annealing treatments may also include heating the glass to a higher temperature following the isothermal hold and holding the glass at that temperature for several hours. Glasses produced by the annealing treatments exhibit high spatial uniformity of CTE, CTE slope, and fictive temperature, including in the presence of a spatially non-uniform concentration of modifier.

In order to reduce the degree of relaxation after an optical substrate has been compacted, in particular after a longer period, substrates (51) or reflective optical elements (50), in particular for EUV lithography, with substrates (51) of this type, are proposed. These substrates (51), which have a surface region (511) with a reflective coating (54), are characterised in that, at least near to the surface region (511), the titanium-doped quartz glass has a proportion of Si—O—O—Si bonds of at least 1*10.sup.16/cm.sup.3 and/or a proportion of Si—Si bonds of at least 1*10.sup.16/cm.sup.3 or, along a notional line (513) perpendicular to the surface region (511), over a length (517) of 500 nm or more, a hydrogen content of more than 5×10.sup.18 molecules/cm.sup.3.

To obtain a crystallized glass member having a curved shape and provide a method for producing the same. A method for producing a crystallized glass member having a curved shape, including a deformation step for adjusting the temperature of a plate glass to a first temperature zone from higher than [At+40]° C. to [At+146]° C. or lower, where At is the yield point (° C.) of the plate glass and deforming at least part of the plate glass into a curved shape by external force acting on the plate glass while precipitating crystals from the plate glass.

The present invention relates to a composition and a process for the production of a molding made of high-purity transparent quartz glass, by means of additive manufacturing.