Manufacturing methods for making a substantially rectangular and flat glass preform for manufacturing a Li ion conducting glass separator can involve drawing the preform to a thin sheet and may involve one or more of slumping, rolling or casting the glass within a frame that defines a space filling region and therewith the shape and size of the preform. The thickness of the rectangular flat preform so formed may be about 2 mm or less. The frame may be slotted having a back surface and widthwise wall portion that define the height and width of the space filling region. The flat backing surface and surfaces of the widthwise wall portions are defined may be coated by a material that is inert in direct contact with the heated glass material, such as gold.

A liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device that permits steering in the mid-wave infrared and has a chalcogenide waveguide. The waveguide core, the subcladding, or both comprise a chalcogenide glass. The liquid crystal-based non-mechanical beam steering device has a tapered subcladding and a liquid crystal layer.

A sulfide glass solid electrolyte sheet can be protected from reaction with moisture by a thin metal layer coating converted to a thin electrochemically functional and protective compound layer. The converted protective compound layer is electrochemically functional in that it allows for through transport of lithium ions.

Provided herein are ionically conductive solid-state compositions that include ionically conductive inorganic particles in a matrix of an organic material. The resulting composite material has high ionic conductivity and mechanical properties that facilitate processing. In particular embodiments, the ionically conductive solid-state compositions are compliant and may be cast as films. In some embodiments of the present invention, solid-state electrolytes including the ionically conductive solid-state compositions are provided. In some embodiments of the present invention, electrodes including the ionically conductive solid-state compositions are provided. The present invention further includes embodiments that are directed to methods of manufacturing the ionically conductive solid-state compositions and batteries incorporating the ionically conductive solid-state compositions.

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.

In a first embodiment, the invention relates to a method for nanoimprinting a pattern on a chalcogenide-glass substrate, comprising: (A) preparing a soft operational mold, the operational mold comprising an elastomeric matrix and a reinforcement, wherein the matrix is transparent to IR radiation, and the reinforcement is opaque to IR radiation, and the mold further includes a pattern to be replicated to the substrate; (B) placing the mold on a top surface of a chalcogenide-glass substrate to form a structure, and simultaneously applying (i) IR radiation to heat an area at a top surface of the substrate to a temperature T>T.sub.g, where T.sub.g is the glass transition temperature of chalcogenide-glass, and (ii) applying a controlled pressure on the mold to effect penetration to the top surface of the chalcogenide-glass substrate, thereby to replicate the pattern of the mold to the top surface of the substrate; and (C) separating the operational mold from the patterned substrate.

A standalone lithium ion-conductive sulfide solid electrolyte can include a freestanding inorganic vitreous sheet of sulfide-based lithium ion conducting glass capable of high performance in a lithium metal battery by providing a high degree of lithium-ion conductivity while being highly resistant to the initiation and/or propagation of lithium dendrites. Such an electrolyte is also itself manufacturable, and readily adaptable for battery cell and cell component manufacture, in a cost-effective, scalable manner. Methods of making and using the electrolyte, and battery cells and cell components incorporating the electrolyte are also disclosed.

Glass (1) for vehicles includes a light blocking region (A2) in which a far-infrared ray transmission region (B) provided with an opening and a far-infrared ray transmission member arranged in the opening, and a visible light transmission region (C) transmitting visible light are formed. The opening is formed between an upper edge part (1a) of the glass (1) and a first position (P1) in a first direction from the upper edge part (1a) toward a lower edge part (1b) of the glass (1), the first position (P1) is a position at which a distance from the upper edge part (1a) is 30% of a length from the upper edge part (1a) to the lower edge part (1b), and between a second position (P2) and a third position (P3) in a second direction from a side edge part (1c) toward a side edge part (1d) of the glass (1) for vehicles. A length (L2a) in the second direction from the second position (P2) to the third position (P3) is 55% of a length (L2) from the side edge part (1c) to the side edge part (1d), and a length of the longest straight line among straight lines connecting optional two points within a surface on a vehicle exterior side is equal to or smaller than 80 mm.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a sulfide-based inorganic solid electrolyte material including Li, P, and S as constituent elements, the method including: a preparation step of preparing a raw material inorganic composition (A) including at least lithium sulfide, phosphorus sulfide, and a crystal nucleating agent; and a vitrification step of mechanically processing the raw material inorganic composition (A) to vitrify the raw material inorganic composition (A).

Provided is a small-diameter chalcogenide glass material having excellent weather resistance and mechanical strength and being suitable as an optical element for an infrared sensor. The chalcogenide glass material has an unpolished side surface, a pillar shape with a diameter of 15 mm or less, and a composition of, in terms of % by mole, 40 to 90% S+Se+Te and an inside of the glass material is free of stria with a length of 500 μm or more.