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.

A method for producing a sulfide-based solid electrolyte includes: heating and melting a first sulfide-based solid electrolyte raw material in a furnace to obtain a first melt; supplying a second sulfide-based solid electrolyte raw material to the first melt; heating and melting an obtained mixture in a gas atmosphere containing a sulfur element; and cooling an obtained second melt.

Provided is a glass production method that can suppress devitrification of glass and increase the productivity of the glass. A glass production method according to the present invention includes the steps of: pouring a melt 11 obtained by melting a raw material of a glass 18 into a mold 13; and cooling the melt 11 to obtain the glass 18, wherein the mold 13 has a bottom surface 14a and a side surface 15a and, in the step of cooling the melt 11, the mold 13 is cooled from a direction of the bottom surface 14a.

Provided is a method for producing an inexpensive chalcogenide optical element having high performance. An inside of chalcogenide glass is also heated uniformly by heating the chalcogenide glass with an infrared ray (light LI). Therefore, a molded lens LE hardly causes a crack or the like, a work piece WP as a block of the chalcogenide glass can be softened in a short time, and time required for molding can be shortened. In addition, direct heating with an infrared ray (light LI) allows heating and cooling to be performed in a short time. Therefore, an effect of volatilization, oxidation, crystallization, or the like can be reduced, and the lens LE having a high transmittance can be molded. Press molding can be performed while the temperature of the second mold die 12 is lower than that of the glass. Therefore, the lens LE hardly causing fusion and having an excellent appearance can be molded with a low maintenance frequency.

Systems and methods according to one or more embodiments are provided for annealing a chalcogenide lens at an elevated temperature to accelerate release of internal stress within the chalcogenide lens caused during a molding process that formed the chalcogenide lens. In particular, the annealing process includes gradually heating the chalcogenide lens to a dwell temperature, maintaining the chalcogenide lens at the dwell temperature for a predetermined period of time, and gradually cooling the chalcogenide lens from the dwell temperature. The annealing process stabilizes the shape, the effective focal length, and/or the modulation transfer function of the chalcogenide lens. Associated optical assemblies and infrared imaging devices are also described.

Provided is a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte material where a particle size d.sub.50 at which a cumulative frequency in a volume-based cumulative frequency distribution curve measured using a laser diffraction scattering particle size distribution analyzer is 50% is 0.1 m or more and 100 m or less, in which an attachment area measured using the following (method) is 10% or less.

An apparatus used for the fabrication of fiberoptic waveguides utilizing a novel melting and resolidifying apparatus and method while under microgravity conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment, the optical fiber core has a lower melting point than the cladding and the core is melted and resolidified under microgravity conditions. The molten lower melting point core is thus contained by the higher melting point cladding while under microgravity conditions.

A method and apparatus for applying a mid-IR graded microstructure to the end of a chalcogenide glass optical fiber are presented herein. The method and apparatus transfer a microstructure from a negative imprint on a nickel shim to a chalcogenide glass fiber tip with minimal shape distortion and minimal damage-threshold impact resulting in large gains in anti-reflective properties.

A method of forming a chalcogenide glass element, the method includes depositing molten chalcogenide glass from an injection tip of a nozzle and into a cavity of a mold at a flow rate, the nozzle being inserted into the cavity, and during the depositing, moving at least one of the nozzle and the cavity relative to each other to substantially fill the cavity with the molten chalcogenide glass, and changing the speed of the at least one of the nozzle and the cavity based upon alignment of the injection tip with a cross-sectional radius of the cavity.

Provided is a glass production method with which oxidation can be easily prevented and productivity can be increased. The glass production method includes a step of allowing a melt (11), which is obtained by melting a glass raw material, to flow into a mold (13) and a step of cooling the melt (11) to yield a glass (18). A partition member (16) is disposed in the mold (13), forming an inflow portion (17) surrounded by the mold (13) and the partition member (16). In the step of allowing the melt (11) to flow into the mold (13), the melt (11) flows into the inflow portion (17) while the mold (13) is moved relative to the partition member (16) to increase the capacity of the inflow portion (17).