There is provided a sensor fiber including an electrically insulating material having a fiber length. At least one transduction element is disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and is arranged for exposure to an intake species. A photoconducting element is in optical communication with the transduction element. At least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes are in electrical connection with the photoconducting element. The pair of electrodes extend the fiber length.

A method for making high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a sealed ampoule with chemical components enclosed inside, a two-zone furnace, a convection heating/mixing step, and multiple fining steps. Initially, the sealed ampoule is oriented vertically within the two-zone furnace and heated to melt the chemical components contained within, and a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone such that the bottom zone has a higher temperature. This temperature gradient causes convection currents within the viscous liquid until it is sufficiently mixed due to the convective flow. Then the temperature gradient is reversed such that the top zone now has a higher temperature and the convective flow ceases. The furnace temperatures are then reduced over a period of time, with holds at multiple temperatures for fining and cooling to form a solid glass.

A method for producing a solid electrolyte, comprising: grinding raw materials comprising lithium sulfide and phosphorus sulfide in a hydrocarbon solvent, optionally comprising stirring a slurry comprising the raw materials and the hydrocarbon solvent in a reaction vessel, and optionally, circulating the slurry through a connecting pipe, wherein the method is carried out in an apparatus comprising the grinder, the reaction vessel and the connecting pipe that connects the grinder and the reaction vessel.

This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 ?m and 15 ?m, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10.sup.?5 and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.

Provided is a method for manufacturing an infrared-transmissive lens having an excellent surface quality. A method for manufacturing an infrared-transmissive lens includes firing a preform of a chalcogenide glass in an inert gas atmosphere to obtain a fired body and then subjecting the fired body to hot press molding.

The present invention provides for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

The present invention provides a method for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.

In one embodiment, a chalcogenide glass optical fiber is produced by forming a billet including a chalcogenide glass mass and a polymer mass in a stacked configuration, heating the billet to a temperature below the melting point of the chalcogenide glass, extruding the billet in the ambient environment to form a preform rod having a chalcogenide glass core and a polymer jacket, and drawing the preform rod.

Thin amorphous or partially crystalline lithium-containing and conducting sulfide or oxysulfide glass electrode/separator members are prepared from a layer of molten glass or of glass powder. The resulting glass films are formed to lie face-to face against a lithium metal anode or a sodium metal anode and a cathode and to provide for good transport of lithium ions between the electrodes during repeated cycling of the cell and to prevent shorting of the cell by dendrites growing from the lithium metal or sodium metal anode.

A method for producing a sulfide glass ceramic, including reacting a lithium compound, a phosphorus compound and a halogen compound in a solvent that contains a hydrocarbon and an ether compound to produce a sulfide glass that contains a Li element, a P element, a S element and one or more halogen elements, and heating the sulfide glass to produce a sulfide glass ceramic.