The present invention is directed to a method for making infrared transmitting graded index optical elements by selecting at least two different infrared-transmitting materials, each with a different refractive index, having similar thermo-viscous behavior; assembling the infrared-transmitting materials into a stack comprising one or more layers of each infrared-transmitting material resulting in the stack having a graded index profile; and forming the stack into a desired shape. Also disclosed is the related optical element made by this method.

A sensitized, photo-structurable glasses and methods for producing are provided. The glasses includes Si.sup.4+, one or more crystal-agonist, one or more crystal-antagonist, and one or more pair of nucleating agents. The glasses are sensitized in that the glass reacts more sensitive to irradiation with UV-light and can be crystallized easier and with higher aspect ratios than a non-sensitized glass with equal composition. Furthermore, the sensitized glasses of this invention have smaller crystal sizes after irradiation and tempering than a non-sensitized glass with equal composition. The invention also relates to a structured glass product. Such product can be obtained by submitting the crystallized glass product to a subsequent etching step. The structured product can be used in components or as component for the application fields micro-technology, micro-reaction-technology, electronic packaging, micro-fluidics, FED spacer, bio-technology, interposer, and/or three-dimensional structured antennae.

A sensitized, photo-structurable glasses and methods for producing are provided. The glasses includes Si.sup.4+, one or more crystal-agonist, one or more crystal-antagonist, and one or more pair of nucleating agents. The glasses are sensitized in that the glass reacts more sensitive to irradiation with UV-light and can be crystallized easier and with higher aspect ratios than a non-sensitized glass with equal composition. Furthermore, the sensitized glasses of this invention have smaller crystal sizes after irradiation and tempering than a non-sensitized glass with equal composition. The invention also relates to a structured glass product. Such product can be obtained by submitting the crystallized glass product to a subsequent etching step. The structured product can be used in components or as component for the application fields micro-technology, micro-reaction-technology, electronic packaging, micro-fluidics, FED spacer, bio-technology, interposer, and/or three-dimensional structured antennae.

An optical interface device for optically connecting photonic devices to optical device along with methods of making. The method includes providing a glass support member that is either monolithic or laminated. A laser beam is used to write cores in the body of the support member. The support member includes a bend section and the cores generally follow the bend section and serve to define curved optical waveguides. The cores provide strong out-of-plane optical confinement, thereby allowing for strong bends and therefore a compact design for the optical interface device.

An optical interface device for optically connecting photonic devices to optical device along with methods of making. The method includes providing a glass support member that is either monolithic or laminated. A laser beam is used to write cores in the body of the support member. The support member includes a bend section and the cores generally follow the bend section and serve to define curved optical waveguides. The cores provide strong out-of-plane optical confinement, thereby allowing for strong bends and therefore a compact design for the optical interface device.

An optical interface device for optically connecting photonic devices to optical device along with methods of making. The method includes providing a glass support member that is either monolithic or laminated. A laser beam is used to write cores in the body of the support member. The support member includes a bend section and the cores generally follow the bend section and serve to define curved optical waveguides. The cores provide strong out-of-plane optical confinement, thereby allowing for strong bends and therefore a compact design for the optical interface device.

An optical interface device for optically connecting photonic devices to optical device along with methods of making. The method includes providing a glass support member that is either monolithic or laminated. A laser beam is used to write cores in the body of the support member. The support member includes a bend section and the cores generally follow the bend section and serve to define curved optical waveguides. The cores provide strong out-of-plane optical confinement, thereby allowing for strong bends and therefore a compact design for the optical interface device.

A polarizing glass includes shape-anisotropic metal particles oriented and dispersed in at least a surface layer of a glass substrate. The glass substrate contains, by mass %, SiO.sub.2: 50.0 to 60.0%, B.sub.2O.sub.3: 10.0 to 25.0%, Al.sub.2O.sub.3: 3.0 to 10.0%, a total amount of Li.sub.2O, Na.sub.2O, and K.sub.2O [Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O]: 5.0 to 20.0%, ZrO.sub.2: 2.0 to 8.0%, TiO.sub.2: 0.1 to 5.0%, Nb.sub.2O.sub.5: 0.1 to 5.0%, a total amount of TiO.sub.2 and Nb.sub.2O.sub.5[TiO.sub.2+Nb.sub.2O.sub.5]: 0.2 to 10.0%, Ag, and Cl and/or Br: equal to or larger than a chemical equivalent of Ag. The shape-anisotropic metal particles are metallic Ag particles.