An optical component according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a translucent substrate, one or more intermediate layers stacked on at least one of an incident surface and an exit surface of the substrate, and a surface layer stacked on an outermost layer of the one or more intermediate layers, the surface layer containing diamond-like carbon as a main component. At least one intermediate layer among the one or more intermediate layers contains silicon as a main component, and the intermediate layer containing silicon as a main component has an oxygen content of 10 atomic % or less.

An optical component according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a translucent substrate, one or more intermediate layers stacked on at least one of an incident surface and an exit surface of the substrate, and a surface layer stacked on an outermost layer of the one or more intermediate layers, the surface layer containing diamond-like carbon as a main component. At least one intermediate layer among the one or more intermediate layers contains silicon as a main component, and the intermediate layer containing silicon as a main component has an oxygen content of 10 atomic % or less.

A doped substrate having a substrate comprising at least one of a glass material, a single crystal material, a poly-crystalline material, a ceramic material, or a semiconductor material. The doped substrate includes a dopant comprising one or more transition metals, one or more rare earth elements, or a combination of both, the doped substrate characterized in that a spectral laser output of the doped substrate exhibits a nominally single frequency having a linewidth less than about 5 nm.

The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. In an example, the catholyte material comprises a lithium, germanium, phosphorous, and sulfur (LGPS) containing material configured in a polycrystalline state. The device has an oxygen species configured within the LGPS containing material, the oxygen species having a ratio to the sulfur species of 1:2 and less to form a LGPSO material. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the Li.sub.aMP.sub.bS.sub.c (LMPS) [M=Si,Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.

A method (100) for producing a sintered component being a solid electrolyte and/or an electrode including titanium and sulfur for an all-solid state battery, the method including mixing powders (102) so as to obtain a powder mixture comprising titanium and sulfur, pressing (106) a component with the powder mixture, sintering (108) the component under a partial pressure of sulfur comprised between 200 Pa and 0.2 MPa so as to obtain an intermediate sintered component comprising titanium and sulfur, and sintering (114) the intermediate sintered component under a partial pressure of sulfur equal to or smaller than 150 Pa at a temperature plateau comprised between 200 C. and 400 C. so as to obtain a sintered component comprising titanium and sulfur, the solid electrolyte exhibiting the peaks in positions of 2=15.08 (0.50), 15.28 (0.50), 15.92 (0.50), 17.5 (0.50), 18.24 (0.50), 20.30 (0.50), 23.44 (0.50), 24.48 (0.50), and 26.66 (0.50) in a X-ray diffraction measurement using CuK line.

A magnesium-based thermoelectric conversion material made of a sintered compact of a magnesium compound, in which, in a cross section of the sintered compact, a Si-rich metallic phase having a higher Si concentration than in magnesium compound grains is unevenly distributed in a crystal grain boundary between the magnesium compound grains, an area ratio of the Si-rich metallic phase is in a range of 2.5% or more and 10% or less, and a number density of the Si-rich metallic phase having an area of 1 m.sup.2 or more is in a range of 1,800/mm.sup.2 or more and 14,000 /mm.sup.2 or less.

A method (100) for producing a sintered component being a solid electrolyte and/or an electrode including sulfur for an all-solid state battery, the method including mixing powders (102) so as to obtain a powder mixture, at least one of the powders comprising sulfur, pressing (106) a component with the powder mixture and sintering (108) the component under a partial pressure of sulfur comprised between 150 Pa and 0.2 MPa so as to obtain a sintered component comprising sulfur, the sintered component exhibiting the peaks in positions of 2=15.08 (0.50), 15.28 (0.50), 15.92 (0.50), 17.5 (0.50), 18.24 (0.50), 20.30 (0.50, 23.44 (0.50), 24.48 (0.50), and 26.66 (0.50) in a X-ray diffraction measurement using CuK line.

A process for manufacturing a thermoelectric material having a plurality of grains and grain boundaries. The process includes determining a material composition to be investigated for the thermoelectric material and then determining a range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height obtainable for the material composition using current state of the art manufacturing techniques. Thereafter, a range of figure of merit values for the material composition is determined as a function of the range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height. And finally, a thermoelectric material having the determined material composition and an average grain size and grain boundary barrier height corresponding to the maximum range of figure of merit values is manufactured.

A process for manufacturing a thermoelectric material having a plurality of grains and grain boundaries. The process includes determining a material composition to be investigated for the thermoelectric material and then determining a range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height obtainable for the material composition using current state of the art manufacturing techniques. Thereafter, a range of figure of merit values for the material composition is determined as a function of the range of values of grain size and/or grain boundary barrier height. And finally, a thermoelectric material having the determined material composition and an average grain size and grain boundary barrier height corresponding to the maximum range of figure of merit values is manufactured.

Thermoelectric materials based on tetrahedrite structures for thermoelectric devices and methods for producing thermoelectric materials and devices are disclosed.