Chalcogenide lens elements and methods of manufacturing such lens elements are provided. In one example, a method includes depositing a first chalcogenide layer on a substrate. The method further includes applying a first stamp to the first chalcogenide layer. The method further includes reflowing, in response to applying the first stamp, the first chalcogenide layer to form a first shaped chalcogenide layer. The method may further include singulating the substrate and the first shaped chalcogenide layer to obtain a plurality of chalcogenide lens elements.

An ionically conductive glass (or glassy) monolithic preform having a certain shape, size, and dimension may be made from a monolithic precursor material (e.g., an ingot or boule of ion conductive glass), generally of a different shape and size.

Provided is a glass production method with which oxidation can be suppressed and productivity can be increased. A glass production method according to the present invention includes the steps of: turning a raw material 6 placed in a container 1 into a melt 11; homogenizing the melt 11; removing a gas from the melt 11, wherein at least one of the step of turning the raw material 6 into the melt 11 and the step of homogenizing the melt 11 is performed in an atmosphere of an inert gas or a reducing gas, and in the step of the removing the gas from the melt 11, the inert gas or the reducing gas is removed by setting the temperature of the melt 11 to be lower than the temperature in the step of homogenizing the melt 11.

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.