Crystallized glass and strengthened crystallized glass with a novel composition, which have a high refractive index and high hardness, are provided. A crystallized glass, including, by mass % in terms of oxide, 20.0% or more and less than 40.0% of a SiO.sub.2 component, more than 0% and 20.0% or less of a Rn.sub.2O component, where Rn is one or more selected from Li, Na, and K, 7.0% to 25.0% of an Al.sub.2O.sub.3 component, 0% to 25.0% of a MgO component, 0% to 45.0% of a ZnO component, and 0% to 20.0% of a Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 component, in which a total amount of the MgO component, the ZnO component, and the Ta.sub.2O.sub.5 component is 10.0% or more.

A glass sheet of the present invention is characterized in that: the glass sheet has a refractive index nd of from 1.55 to 2.30; the glass sheet has an inclined surface in at least a part of an end surface; an angle formed by the inclined surface and a principal surface is from 5° to 85°; and the inclined surface has a surface roughness Ra of 1 μm or less.

A near-infrared absorbing glass is provided and includes 10% to 40% by weight of phosphorus and 5% to 35% by weight of iron, where a molar ratio of phosphorus to iron (P/Fe) of the near-infrared absorbing glass is between 1.75 and 5, and the near-infrared absorbing glass has an average transmittance of less than 10% to light with wavelengths ranging from 930 nm to 950 nm. A near-infrared cut-off filter including the near-infrared absorbing glass is also provided.

A near-infrared absorbing glass is provided and includes 10% to 40% by weight of phosphorus and 5% to 35% by weight of iron, where a molar ratio of phosphorus to iron (P/Fe) of the near-infrared absorbing glass is between 1.75 and 5, and the near-infrared absorbing glass has an average transmittance of less than 10% to light with wavelengths ranging from 930 nm to 950 nm. A near-infrared cut-off filter including the near-infrared absorbing glass is also provided.

A method of forming a glass sheet comprises: (a) forming a ribbon of glass from molten glass with a pair of forming rollers; (b) reducing horizontal temperature variability of the ribbon of glass to be 10° C. or less across 80 percent of an entire width of the ribbon of glass before the ribbon of glass cools to a glass transition temperature; (c) controlling a cooling rate of the ribbon of glass while the ribbon of glass moves vertically downward within a setting zone such that the ribbon of glass has a first average cooling rate before the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature and a second average cooling rate after the ribbon of glass cools to the glass transition temperature, the first average cooling rate being less than the second average cooling rate; and (d) separating a glass sheet from the ribbon of glass.

Disclosed in the present invention is a beam coherence eliminating element. The optical medium material of the element comprises microcrystalline glass, wherein microcrystalline particles therein have a size of 0.1-1000 nm and are distributed randomly. As the crystals in the microcrystalline glass can change the phase of light beams, the microcrystalline glass can change the phase of the light beams randomly, thereby eliminating the coherence of the beams. The crystal size of the microcrystalline glass is small, and thus does not affect the transmission efficiency of light beams. The element of the present invention has a simple structure and is convenient to use, and can be added in the process of beam transmission to easily eliminate beam coherence.

A composition includes 30 mol % to 60 mol % SiO.sub.2; 15 mol % to 40 mol % Al.sub.2O.sub.3; 5 mol % to 25 mol % Y.sub.2O.sub.3; 5 mol % to 15 mol % TiO.sub.2; and 0.1 mol % to 15 mol % RO, such that RO is a sum of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO.

Provided is a wavelength conversion member that is less decreased in luminescence intensity with time by irradiation with light of an LED or LD and a light emitting device using the wavelength conversion member. A wavelength conversion member is formed of an inorganic phosphor dispersed in a glass matrix, wherein the glass matrix contains, in % by mole, 30 to 85% SiO.sub.2, 0 to 20% B.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 25% Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 3% Li.sub.2O, 0 to 3% Na.sub.2O, 0 to 3% K.sub.2O, 0 to 3% Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O, 0 to 35% MgO, 0 to 35% CaO, 0 to 35% SrO, 0 to 35% BaO, 0.1 to 45% MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO, and 0 to 4% ZnO, and the inorganic phosphor is at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxide phosphor, a nitride phosphor, an oxynitride phosphor, a chloride phosphor, an oxychloride phosphor, a halide phosphor, an aluminate phosphor, and a halophosphate phosphor.

Provided is a wavelength conversion member that is less decreased in luminescence intensity with time by irradiation with light of an LED or LD and a light emitting device using the wavelength conversion member. A wavelength conversion member is formed of an inorganic phosphor dispersed in a glass matrix, wherein the glass matrix contains, in % by mole, 30 to 85% SiO.sub.2, 0 to 20% B.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 25% Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 3% Li.sub.2O, 0 to 3% Na.sub.2O, 0 to 3% K.sub.2O, 0 to 3% Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O, 0 to 35% MgO, 0 to 35% CaO, 0 to 35% SrO, 0 to 35% BaO, 0.1 to 45% MgO+CaO+SrO+BaO, and 0 to 4% ZnO, and the inorganic phosphor is at least one selected from the group consisting of an oxide phosphor, a nitride phosphor, an oxynitride phosphor, a chloride phosphor, an oxychloride phosphor, a halide phosphor, an aluminate phosphor, and a halophosphate phosphor.

The present invention relates to compositions in the form of precursor glass powders, pastes and preforms comprising said precursor glass powders and glass-ceramics produced from the precursor glass powders, pastes or preforms. The present invention also relates to a method of forming a seal between a first and second material with a glass-ceramic, and a joint comprising a first material, a second material and a glass-ceramic sealing material joining the first and second materials together.