To provide opaque quartz glass having no water absorbing properties and being excellent in infrared light shielding properties, and a method for its production. In the production of opaque quartz glass of the present invention, a fine amorphous silica powder and a pore forming agent are mixed, then molded and heated at a predetermined temperature, to obtain opaque quartz glass wherein contained pores are closed pores, the average pore size of pores is from 5 to 20 m, and the content density of pores is high, whereby the heat shielding properties are high.

An optical fiber having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, and a method and preform for producing such an optical fiber. The optical fiber is adapted to guide light at a wavelength , and includes a core region, an inner cladding region surrounding said core region, and at least one of a first type of feature including a void and a surrounding first silica material. The core, the inner cladding region and the first type of feature extends along said axial direction over at least a part of the length of the optical fiber. The first silica material has a first chlorine concentration of about 300 ppm or less.

An optical fiber having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, and a method and preform for producing such an optical fiber. The optical fiber is adapted to guide light at a wavelength , and includes a core region, an inner cladding region surrounding said core region, and at least one of a first type of feature including a void and a surrounding first silica material. The core, the inner cladding region and the first type of feature extends along said axial direction over at least a part of the length of the optical fiber. The first silica material has a first chlorine concentration of about 300 ppm or less.