Doped quartz glass components for use in a plasma-assisted manufacturing process contain at least one dopant which is capable of reacting with fluorine to form a fluoride compound, and the fluoride compound has a boiling point higher than that of SiF.sub.4. The doped quartz glass component has high dry-etch resistance and low particle formation, and has uniform etch removal when used in a plasma-assisted manufacturing process. The doped quartz glass has a microhomogeneity defined by (a) a surface roughness with an R.sub.a value of less than 20 nm after the surface has been subjected to a dry-etching procedure as specified in the description, or (b) a dopant distribution with a lateral concentration profile in which maxima of the dopant concentration are at an average distance apart of less than 30 μm.

A method of manufacturing a scintillator material includes providing a substrate made of a quartz glass and having a recess formed therein; filling the recess with a raw material powder obtained by mixing an iodide raw material and SiO.sub.2 fine particles; after filling the recess, disposing a lid on the substrate to cover the recess; and after disposing the lid, heating the substrate, thereby forming a nanocomposite layer in which an iodide phosphor is introduced into a cristobalite structure.

A method of manufacturing a scintillator material includes providing a substrate made of a quartz glass and having a recess formed therein; filling the recess with a raw material powder obtained by mixing an iodide raw material and SiO.sub.2 fine particles; after filling the recess, disposing a lid on the substrate to cover the recess; and after disposing the lid, heating the substrate, thereby forming a nanocomposite layer in which an iodide phosphor is introduced into a cristobalite structure.

A method for forming an optical quality glass is provided. The method includes contacting silica soot particles with a basic additive, forming a silica soot compact, and removing the basic additive from the silica soot compact. A method of forming a cladding portion of an optical fiber preform is also provided.

A method for forming an optical quality glass is provided. The method includes contacting silica soot particles with a basic additive, forming a silica soot compact, and removing the basic additive from the silica soot compact. A method of forming a cladding portion of an optical fiber preform is also provided.

A method for preparing an optically transparent, superomniphobic glass composition is described. In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a glass composition, including heating a borosilicate glass comprising 45-85 wt. % silicon oxide and 10-40 wt. % boron oxide to form a phase-separated glass comprising an interpenetrating network of silicon oxide domains and boron oxide domains. The method includes removing at least a portion of the boron oxide domains from the phase-separated glass and depositing a hydrophobic silane to provide a porous glass having a hydrophobic silane layer disposed on a portion of the surface thereof, a total pore volume of 15-50 vol. %, and an average pore diameter of 20-300 nm. The method includes, within at least a portion of the volume of the porous glass, forming an aerogel precursor, and converting at least a portion of the aerogel precursor to an aerogel.

An optical system comprising: an optical assembly having a first optical surface and a rear optical surface, said optical assembly comprising at least three optical elements; an optical fiber comprising a core portion with a mode field diameter (MFD) expanded region optically coupled to the rear optical surface of the optical assembly, the optical fiber comprising a core region doped with chlorine in a concentration greater than 0.5 wt %, wherein the MFD expanded region is less than 5 cm in length, and has MFD at the fiber end coupled to the optical assembly that is a least 20% greater than the MFD at other end of the optical fiber; an optical signal source coupled to first optical surface of the optical assembly, such that the optical signal provided by the optical signal source is routed along an optical path formed by the optical assembly to the mode field diameter expanded region of said optical fiber.

A copper-doped glass formed by placing a target glass in a container, surrounding the target glass with a powder mixture comprised of SiO.sub.2 powder and Cu.sub.2S powder, wherein the SiO.sub.2 powder and the Cu.sub.2S powder are mixed according to the formula (SiO.sub.2).sub.(1-x)(Cu.sub.2S).sub.x, where 0.01<x<0.1, and heated to a temperature of between 800° C. and 1150° C. for a duration of between 1 and 10 hours.

A copper-doped glass formed by placing a target glass in a container, surrounding the target glass with a powder mixture comprised of SiO.sub.2 powder and Cu.sub.2S powder, wherein the SiO.sub.2 powder and the Cu.sub.2S powder are mixed according to the formula (SiO.sub.2).sub.(1-x)(Cu.sub.2S).sub.x, where 0.01<x<0.1, and heated to a temperature of between 800° C. and 1150° C. for a duration of between 1 and 10 hours.

A process for heating a glass or glass ceramic article with copper-metallized through holes includes heating the article from a first temperature to a second temperature. The first temperature is greater than or equal to 200° C. and less than or equal to 300° C., and the second temperature is greater than or equal to 350° C. and less than or equal to 450° C. An average heating rate during the heating of the article from the first temperature to the second temperature is greater than 0.0° C./min and less than 8.7° C./min. An article includes a glass or glass ceramic substrate having at least one through hole penetrating the substrate in a thickness direction; and copper present in the at least one through hole. The article does not comprise radial cracks.