The fabrication of asymmetric monometallic nanocrystals with novel properties for plasmonics, nanophotonics and nanoelectronics. Asymmetric monometallic plasmonic nanocrystals are of both fundamental synthetic challenge and practical significance. In an example, a thiol-ligand mediated growth strategy that enables the synthesis of unprecedented Au Nanorod-Au Nanoparticle (AuNR-AuNP) dimers from pre-synthesized AuNR seeds. Using high-resolution electron microscopy and tomography, crystal structure and three-dimensional morphology of the dimer, as well as the growth pathway of the AuNP on the AuNR seed, was investigated for this example. The dimer exhibits an extraordinary broadband optical extinction spectrum spanning the UV, visible, and near infrared regions (300-1300 nm). This unexpected property makes the AuNR-AuNP dimer example useful for many nanophotonic applications. In two experiments, the dimer example was tested as a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and a solar light harvester for photothermal conversion, in comparison with the mixture of AuNR and AuNP. In the SERS experiment, the dimer example showed an enhancement factor about 10 times higher than that of the mixture, when the excitation wavelength (660 nm) was off the two surface plasmon resonance (SPR) bands of the mixture. In the photothermal conversion experiment under simulated sunlight illumination, the dimer example exhibited an energy conversion efficiency about 1.4 times as high as that of the mixture.

A method for cutting glass is disclosed. A glass substrate is provided, the glass substrate includes at least one cutting surface, some micro-fractures are formed on the cutting surface. A conductivity material is provided and coated on the cutting surface to form a conductivity material layer. The conductivity material layer can absorb laser energy. The conductivity material layer is irradiated by laser. The glass substrate adjoined to the cutting surface is fused to repair the micro-fractures.

Disclosed herein are systems for shaping glass structures, comprising a shaping mold; a magnetic field generator; and a susceptor plate positioned substantially between the shaping mold and the magnetic field generator. Also disclosed herein are systems for shaping a glass structures, comprising a magnetic field generator comprising at least one induction coil and a one power supply connected to the at least one induction coil; and a susceptor plate having a first surface proximate the at least one induction coil and an opposing second surface proximate the glass structure. Further disclosed herein are methods for heating glass structures, comprising positioning the glass structure on a shaping mold; introducing the shaping mold and glass structure into a furnace; and indirectly heating at least a portion of the glass structure using at least one induction heating source.

Methods of forming a sheet glass product comprising a plurality of growth-limited glass bump spacers. According to the methods, a glass pane of the sheet glass product is irradiated with laser radiation to locally heat the glass pane at a plurality of spacer localities and induce growth of a plurality of glass bump spacers in the glass pane. The growth of the plurality of glass bump spacers is limited by utilizing a growth-limiting plate comprising a scattering surface portion. The scattering surface portion of the growth-limiting plate mitigates damage to the growth-limiting plate and may also mitigate damage to the glass pane. Vacuum insulated glass products and systems for forming a growth-limited sheet glass product are also provided.

A method of manufacturing a tempered glass sheet of the present invention includes: subjecting a glass sheet to be tempered having a sheet thickness of 2.0 mm or less to ion exchange treatment; and performing heat treatment at a temperature of 50 C. or more and less than a strain point of the glass sheet to be tempered.

A method of making a glass sheet comprises laminating a high CTE core glass to a low CTE clad glass at high temperatures and allowing the laminate to cool creating compressive stress in the clad glass, and then ion exchanging the laminate to increase the compressive stress in the outer near surface regions of the clad glass. The core glass may include ions that exchange with ion in the clad glass to increase the compressive stress in inner surface regions of the clad glass adjacent to the clad glass/core glass interfaces. The glass laminate may be formed and laminated using a fusion forming and laminating process and fusion formable and ion exchangeable glass compositions.

A method of manufacturing a laminated glass article having a first clad layer, a second clad layer, and a core layer between the first clad layer and the second clad layer, by exposing an edge of the core layer. An etchant can be applied to the edge of the laminated glass article to form the recess. The recess can then be filled.

A method of manufacturing a laminated glass article having a first clad layer, a second clad layer, and a core layer between the first clad layer and the second clad layer, by exposing an edge of the core layer. An etchant can be applied to the edge of the laminated glass article to form the recess. The recess can then be filled.

A system and method of thermally tempering a glass laminate including a core layer and cladding layers fused to opposing sides of the core layer, the method including: preheating the glass laminate to a temperature between the annealing point and the softening point of the core layer; and selectively heating the glass laminate using microwave radiation, while actively cooling the glass laminate, such that a temperature differential of at least about 30 C. is generated between the core and cladding layers.

Disclosed herein are glass-based articles having a first surface having an edge, wherein a maximum optical retardation of the first surface is at the edge and the maximum optical retardation is less than or equal to about 40 nm and wherein the optical retardation decreases from the edge toward a central region of the first surface, the central region having a boundary defined by a distance from the edge toward a center point of the first surface, wherein the distance is ? of the shortest distance from the edge to the center point.