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In this study, low-cost laser marker ablation of vanadium-coated glass was adopted to prepare self-cleaning, anti-reflective, and anti-fog micro-nano structures on its surface. The surface had a hierarchical micro-nano structure composed of a quasi-periodic microstructure and ∼100 nm-sized worm-like clusters interspersed with dispersed nanoparticles. The solar spectrum (AM 1.5) weighted average transmission of treated glass was enhanced by 3.87% over control glass in the wavelength range of 400–1100 nm. Importantly, the water contact angle of the laser-treated samples achieved and maintained 0° for a duration of 25 days, and the laser-treated samples achieved and maintained excellent anti-fog performance for 150 days. The antifog performance degraded substantially afterward, though was still noticeable compared to the reference even after 428 days of storage in the laboratory. Furthermore, co-achievement of exceptional self-cleaning anti-fog performance and broadband transmission enhancement through laser treatment of glass has rarely been previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovonic threshold switching (OTS) selectors play a critical role in suppressing the sneak-path current of three-dimensional crossbar integration circuits. Compared to conventional nonmetal-telluride OTS selectors, selectors based on AlxTey glass are found to have both satisfactory on-state current and selectivity. However, it is unclear why the Al-rich AlxTey glass-based OTS selectors have robust insulation properties for reducing the off-state current. This work reveals the structure–property correlations of amorphous AlxTey at the atomic scale by first-principles calculations. It is found that the stoichiometric Al2Te3 glass tends to have a clean bandgap owing to the covalent and dative bonds formed by non-equivalent sp3-hybridized Al orbitals and the lone-pair electrons of Te. Unexpectedly, for Al-rich AlxTey glass (Al2.21Te2.79), the Al–Al bonds formed by redundant Al-atoms have an integrated crystal orbital bond index (ICOBI) of 0.8–0.9, which is much larger than that of Al–Al bonds in pure metals (0.227), indicating they are covalent. It is the covalent Al–Al bonds that ensure the robust insulation characteristics of Al-rich AlxTey glass, while the Te–Te interaction in the Al-poor AlxTey glass (Al1.79Te3.21) produces midgap states, thereby reducing the insulativity. The presented atomic and electronic pictures here will provide useful theoretical insights for designing OTS selectors with improved performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A validated method based on Haidinger fringes has been proposed to measure the optical constants for thin-walled glass cells. The method can significantly enhance measurement accuracy by utilizing the reflected spectrum to determine the optical constants of the sample. The reflected light off the inner and the outer surfaces of the cell combined together and formed the interferential pattern (Haidinger fringes) detected by the photodiodes. Taking into account that the sample in our experiment is a sealed cell, we deliberately set the incident angle to a non-zero value. First, the measurement principle has been analyzed, and subsequently, the relevant experimental platform has been established. To reduce random errors, we recalibrated the relationship between the frequency of the laser and the operating temperature. Furthermore, the incident angle has been accurately estimated using the method of non-linear least squares. Finally, the weighted average, considering correlated uncertainties for all measurements, is 1.873 ± 0.005 016 mm, which showcases clear advantages over conventional mechanical methods that risk potential damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shock experiments give a unique insight into the behavior of matter subjected to extremely high pressures and temperatures. Understanding the behavior of materials under such extreme conditions is key to modeling material failure and deformation dynamics under impact. While studies on pure silica are extensive, the shock behavior of other commercial silicates that contain additional oxides has not been systematically investigated. To better understand the role of composition in the dynamic behavior of silicates, we performed laser-driven dynamic compression experiments on soda-lime glass (SLG) up to 315 GPa. Using the accurate pulse shaping offered by the long pulse laser system at the Matter in Extreme Conditions end-station at the Linac Coherent Light Source, SLG was shock compressed along the Hugoniot to multiple pressure-temperature points. Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector was used to measure the velocity and determine the pressure inside the SLG. The U s –u p relationship obtained agrees well with the previous parallel plate impact studies. Within the error bars, no transformation to the crystalline phase was observed up to 70 GPa, which is in contrast to the behavior of pure silica under shock compression. Our studies show that the glass composition strongly influences the shock compression behavior of the silicate glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research article reports the non-contact optical thermometric study using the UC emission intensity ratio of thermally and non-thermally coupled levels. Tm3+/Er3+/Yb3+ codoped TeO2-WO3-Bi2O3 (TWBi) glass have been synthesized using melt-quenching technique. After analyzing the optical absorption and UC emission spectra at room temperature, the temperature-dependent study of UC emission spectra has been performed in the 303–523 K range. First, the optical temperature sensing using the luminescence intensity ratio of thermally coupled levels of Er3+ ion has been studied. The maximum value of absolute and relative sensitivities has been found to be ∼0.0088 K−1 at 483 K and ∼0.0120 K−1 at 303 K, respectively. Furthermore, the luminescence intensity ratio approach has been employed to study non-contact temperature sensing in non-thermally coupled levels. While employing the ratiometric approach involving non-thermally coupled levels, a simultaneous improvement in absolute and relative sensitivities has been witnessed. There, the maximum value of absolute and relative sensitivities has been found as high as ∼0.7143 K−1 at 523 K and ∼0.0249 K−1 at 483 K, respectively. It has been found that the relative sensitivity in the case of non-thermally coupled levels (NTCLs) clearly dominates the relative sensitivity of TCLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deciphering the structure-property relations of densified oxide glasses is a problem of longstanding interest. For example, it is important for understanding the fracture mechanism under sharp contact loading as well as fabricating glasses with tunable physical characteristics. Recent advances in both experimental and simulation techniques have prompted research breakthroughs in understanding the response of glasses to high pressure. In this Perspective, we first briefly discuss the facilities for the high-pressure treatment of glasses, including in situ and ex situ investigations. The recent work on pressure-induced structural changes of archetypical oxide glass families (silicates, germanates, borates, aluminates, phosphates) is discussed and compared to the changes in macroscopic properties induced by densification, as densification treatment can be used to produce oxide glasses with improved hardness, stiffness, and toughness. We also discuss the new insights from atomistic simulations combined with topological analysis tools to unravel the densification mechanism of oxide glasses on the medium-range order length scale. Drawing on these recent studies, we clarify how densification treatment has proved to be an important tool to both understand the disordered nature of glasses and tune their physical properties, although many open questions and challenges remain that require further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we demonstrated that solgel-derived glass and ceramic thin films show a decrease in in-plane residual tensile stress during storing in humid atmosphere at room temperature. To clarify the mechanism, we prepared SiO2 glass films on Si(100) wafers via spin-coating followed by firing and obtained in-plane stress by measuring the substrate curvature. The SiO2 film fired at 600 °C showed a decrease in tensile stress during storing but showed recovery when heated afterward at 300 °C. We detected an increase in the infrared O–H absorption peak area as well as in the film thickness during storing, the latter of which was detected by in situ ellipsometry for the SiO2 film fired at 600 °C. On the other hand, when fired at 880 and 885 °C, the SiO2 films gained "compressive" residual stress, which slightly increased with time during storing. Based on these observations the decrease in tensile stress during storing has been confirmed to be caused basically by the film expansion induced by water adsorption. The SiO2 film fired at 600 °C showed recovery in stress on heating at 300 °C, which was incomplete in contrast to the CeO2 film that showed complete recovery as reported previously. Such recovery in stress was accompanied by decrease and turning back of the O–H absorption peak are to original values, the latter of which was incomplete in the SiO2 film but complete in the CeO2 film. These results on stress recovery and IR absorption suggest that besides water "adsorption," water "absorption" cannot be ruled out for the SiO2 film as the partial cause of the decrease in "tensile" stress during storing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Figures 5-8 show density and Si/Al coordination change during the compression-decompression cycle with and without a shear stress component using the two sets of parameters. In the original paper, the short-range interaction parameters for the Si-Li pair in the SHIK potential[1] were used by mistake for the Si-Na pair in the sodium aluminosilicate (NAS) glass. Si and Al coordination changes during the compression-decompression cycle in NAS without [(a) and (b)] and with shear [(c) and (d)] using the two sets of short-range interaction parameters. [Extracted from the article]

Soda-lime glass (SLG) and other silica glasses exhibit the failure wave phenomenon under shock compression. The mechanism responsible for this peculiar behavior of glasses is still unresolved. In this study, a series of plate impact experiments was performed at three different impact stresses of 6.4, 8.3, and 10.8 GPa to better understand the mechanisms underlying the failure wave phenomenon. Specifically, spall experiments were conducted to probe the speed and existence of failure waves at different stresses in SLG. A layered glass target was used to probe the possibility of a "renucleation" of the wave at the SLG–SLG interface. When it existed, the failure wave was inferred to propagate at a speed of 1.3 km/s. However, it was observed that the failure wave phenomenon ceases to exist for impact stresses higher than 10 GPa. In experiments with a 6.4 GPa impact stress, the peak free surface velocity was significantly less than what is predicted by stress-Hugoniot calculations. This velocity deficit and other important features of the measured free surface velocity profiles were simulated using finite element analysis by incorporating an abrupt densification of SLG at a critical stress in the equation of state. This densification feature is similar to what would be expected of a phase transition. Although unable to unambiguously reveal the mechanism causing the failure wave phenomenon, the results of the present work clearly indicate that the failure wave causes a secondary compression and densification in SLG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ErF3-doped TeO2–Ga2O3–BaF2–AlF3–Y2O3 (TGBAY) glasses with high fluorescence efficiency and a high thermal damage threshold were developed for potential mid-infrared fiber laser applications. A model 2.7-μm fiber laser based on this material was analyzed using rate and propagation equations. Under 808 and 980 nm laser pumping, fluorescence emissions with central wavelength at 1.55 and 2.73 μm were detected. Based on the Judd–Ofelt (J–O) theory, the intensity parameters (Ωλ, λ = 2, 4, and 6) and radiative transition property were calculated and characterized through absorption and emission spectra. The results indicated that tellurite–gallium oxyfluoride glass had a high glass transition temperature (Tg, ∼391 °C), large emission cross sections at 1.55 μm (6.32 × 10−21 cm2) and 2.73 μm (9.68 × 10−21 cm2) as well as a longer fluorescence lifetime (6.84 ms at 1.55 μm and 262 μs at 2.73 μm) relative to the conventional Er3+-doped tellurite glass. The temperature dependence of the emission spectra indicated that TGBAY-2Er glass was more favorable to achieve infrared emission at low temperatures. Numerical simulation revealed the feasibility of achieving a ∼2.7 μm fiber laser operation based on the developed Er3+-doped tellurite–gallium oxyfluoride glass fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of a glass–glass interface is an effective way to improve the plasticity of metallic glass. However, the strength–plasticity trade-off has not still been effectively overcome. Here, the effect of the composition on the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of the CuZr nanoglass (NG) is investigated under tensile loading by a molecular dynamics simulation. The results indicate that high-performance NGs can be obtained by adjusting the percentage of Cu atoms. There is a critical Cu content (i.e., 75%), which makes the NGs have both high strength and high plasticity. The results show that with the increase in the Cu content, the deformation mechanism of the NGs changes from necking to uniform plastic deformation and then to the nucleation and the growth of the main shear band. Our results underscore the importance of the composition in the design and preparation of high-performance metallic glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental studies have shown that glass systems with high boron content exhibit superior crack resistance under sharp contact loading. However, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. In this context, we carried out classical molecular dynamics simulations on sodium aluminosilicate and sodium aluminoborate systems to investigate the effect of boron on the response of glass to nanoindentation. A rigid V-shaped indenter is used to indent the glass sample with a fixed loading rate, during which the indenter interacts with the glass via a repulsive force field. The indenter angle and tip radius are varied to study the effect of indenter sharpness, as what has been done in experiments. These simulated nanoindentation tests reveal how the stress/strain field and the glass structure evolve with deformation underneath the indenter. It was found that a large number of boron atoms in the plastic zone change from three- to fourfold coordination during the loading process, and most of them revert back to the threefold coordination state during the unloading process. Our study shows that this "reversible" boron coordination change plays a critical role in increasing the damage resistance of glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated organic–inorganic perovskite nanocrystals in nanoporous glasses (OIPiG) where (C6H5C2H4NH3)2PbBr4 (Phe) was incorporated into about 4 nm diameter pores and evaluated their photoluminescence and scintillation properties, compared with the Phe single crystal. Both the samples showed emissions due to the recombination of free excitons in the inorganic layer under 280 nm excitation light. In scintillation, a weak and broad scintillation peak possibly due to the free excitons and bound excitons was observed in the OIPiG, while the Phe single crystal showed efficient scintillation due to free exciton emissions with a peak approximately at 435 nm. The scintillation decay time constant (4.4 ns) due to the free excitons for the OIPiG was found to be faster than that (6.6 ns) for the Phe single crystal. In addition, the afterglow levels were confirmed to be 340 ppm for the OIPiG and 20 ppm for the Phe single crystal. The afterglow level of the OIPiG was higher than that of the Phe single crystal but was almost equivalent to that for the commonly used inorganic scintillator CsI:Tl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to relatively pure silica glass (fused silica—FS), commercial silica-rich glasses contain significant fractions of additional oxide components. In particular, soda-lime glass (SLG) consists of approximately 71% SiO2 by weight, which raises the question: what is the effect of additional cations on the shock compression response of silica-rich glasses? To address this question, plate impact experiments were conducted to determine the high-pressure Hugoniot states for shocked SLG (37 to 120 GPa) and compared with recently reported results on FS. Using laser interferometry, particle velocity profiles were measured at the impact surface and at the SLG/LiF window interface. In all experiments, the transmitted profiles show a single shock wave, with no features indicative of a phase transformation. The Hugoniot states determined from the wave profiles are described well using a linear shock velocity–particle velocity relation. Interferometry measurements (using 1550-nm wavelength laser) at the impact surface show that SLG is transparent when shocked to 55 GPa, transparent for tens of nanoseconds after impact between 55 and 81 GPa, and opaque beyond 81 GPa. From impact surface measurements, a linear relationship between the apparent and true particle velocity was observed, resulting in a linear relationship between the refractive index (at 1550 nm) and density. At 120 GPa, the SLG density is nearly twice its ambient value, indicating that SLG can achieve highly dense amorphous states. When compared to FS, shocked SLG is much less compressible and likely does not transform to a crystalline phase. A plausible explanation for this difference is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation history and processing have a crucial influence on which configurational state material systems assume. Glasses and nanocrystalline materials usually reside in nonequilibrium states at room temperature, and as a consequence, their thermodynamic, dynamical, and physical properties change with time—even years after manufacture. Such changes, entitled aging or structural relaxation, are all manifestations of paths taken in the underlying potential energy landscape. Since it is highly multidimensional, there is a need to reduce complexity. Here, we demonstrate how to construct a one-dimensional pathway across the energy landscape using strain/volume as an order parameter. On its way to equilibrium, we map the system's release of energy by calorimetry and the spectrum of barrier heights by dilatometry. The potential energy of the system is reduced by approximately k B T during relaxation, whereas the crossing of saddle points requires activation energies in the order of 1 eV / atom relative to the energy minima. As a consequence, the system behaves as a bad global minimum finder. We also discovered that aging is accompanied by a decrease in the non-ergodicity parameter, suggesting a decline in density fluctuations during aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Co micro-alloying (1 at. %) on the shear band diffusion and the relaxation processes in a model PdNiP bulk metallic glass is investigated. The shear bands are induced by one-pass cold-rolling. In addition to a fast shear band diffusion branch (D sb ≃ 10 − 16 m 2 / s at 473 K), with the diffusivity being similar to that observed for the cold-rolled standard Pd 40 Ni 40 P 20 composition, an ultrafast diffusion branch (D sb ≃ 10 − 14 m 2 / s at the same temperature) is found to exist in the micro-alloyed glass. Combined with previously reported observations of faster relaxation of both the Boson peak height and the fictive temperature, the results indicate that Co micro-alloying affects the excess free volume distribution and thus changes the potential energy landscape of the glass, introducing a higher number of local atomic arrangements prone to the formation of shear transformation zones under plastic deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) ceramics added with Bi2O3–B2O3–SiO2 glass were synthesized by the sol-gel method, and the effect on their microstructural, dielectric, energy storage properties has been discussed. The SEM results demonstrate that the average grain size decreases obviously with reducing glass additive, which is enriched at the grain boundary. Owing to the addition of glass additive, sintering temperature decreases significantly. Moreover, the glass additives broaden the dielectric peak and the Curie temperature shifts toward lower temperature. The ceramic with glass additive shows better impedance properties than that of pure BCZT ceramics. In addition, the coercive field and remnant polarization of hysteresis loop were greatly decreased by introducing glass additives in BCZT ceramics. Notably, the sample with 5% glass additive shows the highest energy storage density (2.12 J/cm3) and the largest storage efficiency (90.5%) at 330 kV/cm electric field. These findings provide a potential pathway to enhance energy storage properties of BCZT ceramics in order to promote its energy storage application in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transparent metamaterial absorber with broadband microwave absorption and polarization insensitiveness is presented in this paper. Consisting of a two-layer closed square ring, one-layer patch-shaped indium tin oxide films, and a three-layer soda-lime glass substrate, the proposed absorber has advantages of broadband absorption with absorptivity higher than 85% ranging from 4.6 to 18 GHz, transparency, good polarization insensitiveness, wide-incident-angle stability, and high shielding efficiency. A prototype sample is fabricated and measured to demonstrate its excellent performance. The experimental results agree well with the numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, polycrystalline InN films with flat surfaces and improved electron mobility were grown atop AlN orientation layers on glass substrates by pulsed sputtering deposition. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the InN films comprise dense c-axis-oriented grains. The electron mobilities of these c-axis-oriented InN films were higher than those of the InN directly grown on the glass substrate, reaching as high as 427 cm2 V−1 s−1. To demonstrate a practical application of the developed InN film, a thin-film transistor was fabricated on a 5-nm-thick c-axis-oriented InN film on an AlN orientation layer and operated successfully with a field-effect mobility of 60 cm2 V−1 s−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of silver ions into glass by diffusion from an external source is of interest in modifying the optical and electrical properties of glass for device applications. Silver is introduced to fabricate in-glass waveguides, while potassium ions are introduced to pattern the silver diffusion by locally impeding the diffusion. Electric fields assist the silver diffusion, leading to faster diffusion rates of ions and allowing greater concentrations of silver without a metallic cluster formation. However, ion depletion layers are formed in the glass as a result of the application of electric field. Here, we study the nature of these depletion layers using depth profiles of composition after electric field diffusion, using cross-sectional energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis and infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy). We confirm the accelerated diffusion of silver by an electric field and show that potassium impedes the diffusion of silver even when a field is present. We find that an ion depletion layer is formed below the glass surface by the applied electric field which leads to a thermal relaxation and depolarization process when the samples are reheated. Observation of this process enables activation energies and threshold temperatures for the diffusion of Ag, K, and Na to be evaluated and compared with values obtained by composition profiles. Potassium was found to increase the initially low temperature threshold for silver diffusion, increase the activation energy, and also impede sodium diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation on domain structure evolution under variation of magnetostriction, phase composition and internal stresses was provided. Glass-coated amorphous microwires of Fe73.5Cu1Nb3Si13.5B9 composition with positive magnetostriction were studied. The decrease of internal stresses and controlled crystallization leading to changes in the phase composition and reduction of magnetostriction were observed under different thermal treatment. The domain structure of the as-prepared and annealed microwires was studied by the method of magneto-optical indicator films. The estimation of the domain size was realized by Fourier transform from the domain contrast of magneto-optical images. The regularities of the influence of thermal treatment on the magnetic domain structure of microwires have been estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics oscillatory shear simulations to study frequency-dependent viscoelastic damping spanning nearly six decades in frequency range (MHz to THz), in a wide range of model glasses including binary glasses such as Cu-Zr metallic glass (MG), Wahnstr€om glass and amorphous silica, and unary glasses, namely, Dzugutov glass and amorphous silicon. First, for the Cu-Zr MG, we elucidate the role of quench rate, number of shear cycles, shear amplitude, and shear temperature on the damping characteristics. We observe striking commonalities in damping characteristics for all glasses studied—(i) a peak in the loss modulus in the highfrequency regime (~THz) and (ii) persistent damping in the low-frequency regime (extending down to 10 s of MHz). The high-frequency peak is seen to overlap with the range of natural vibrational frequencies for each glass, and arises from coupling between the excited harmonic vibrational modes. On the other hand, persistent damping at intermediate and low frequencies is shown to be a result of long time-scale local, irreversible deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic response of as-quenched and heat-treated 2Bi2O3-B2O3 glasses was studied. X ray diffraction reveals that the controlled heat treatment of glasses at 380 °C for 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h shows the formation of Bi4B2O9 crystals embedded in 2Bi2O3-B2O3 the host glass matrix. Scanning electron microscopic images reveal the presence of nanocrystallization in as-quenched glass. Significant photocatalytic activities were observed in as-quenched transparent glass. Photocatalytic activities were studied using the degradation of Resazurin as well as pharmaceutical 17 β-Estradiol under UV irradiation. Measurement of contact angle shows enhanced hydrophilicity with the increase in crystallization of the samples. Further, for as quenched 2Bi2O3-B2O3 glass ceramic, under UV irradiation, the water contact angle decreased from 92.7° to 39.5° and the sample surface transformed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Effective photocatalytic performance along with photoinduced hydrophilicity promotes 2Bi2O3-B2O3 glass ceramics in self-cleaning applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alignment of smectic C* liquid crystals (LCs) has been manipulated over and near different surfaces such as bare glass, indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass, patterned glass, and near spacers. The LC sample cell is made of one ITO coated glass plate and other having striped ITO with a Mylar spacer maintaining a finite cell gap between them. Laser scribing is used to make striped ITO, while the scribed area results in the formation of the patterned glass surface. The geometry of the cell is such that overlapped ITO lie in the middle and spacers are placed in the two extreme corners of the cell. The alignment of LC is found to be homeotropic over the ITO coated glass, while it is planar near the spacer. Interestingly, a transition from homeotropic to planar is observed while moving away from the middle towards either corner of the cell. The origin of both types of alignment in the same cell has been explained by considering the difference in the surface energy of different surfaces. This work renders new advancement towards the manipulation of LC alignment using different surfaces and interfaces for advanced electro-optical and photonic devices based on LCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, deterioration of glass beads is a significant problem in conservation and restoration of beaded exhibits in museums. Glass corrosion affects nearly all kinds of beads but cloudy bluegreen ones are more than others subjected to disastrous destruction. However, physical and chemical mechanisms of this phenomenon have not been understood thus far. This article presents results of a study of elemental and phase composition of glass of the blue-green beads of the 19th century obtained from exhibits kept in Russian museums. Using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and X-ray powder analysis, we have detected and investigated Sb-rich microinclusions in the glass matrix of these beads and found them to be micro crystallites of KSbSiO5. These crystallites were not detected in other kinds of beads which are much less subjected to corrosion than the blue-green ones and deteriorate in a different way. We believe that individual precipitates of KSbSiO5 and especially their clusters play a major role in the blue-green bead deterioration giving rise to slow internal corrosion of the bead glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We produce and characterize high-angle femtosecond Bessel beams at 1300-nm wavelength leading to nonlinearly ionized plasma micro-channels in both glass and silicon. With microjoule pulse energy, we demonstrate controlled through-modifications in 150-μm glass substrates. In silicon, strong two-photon absorption leads to larger damages at the front surface but also a clamping of the intensity inside the bulk at a level of ≈4 × 1011 W cm-2 which is below the threshold for volume and rear surface modification. We show that the intensity clamping is associated with a strong degradation of the Bessel-like profile. The observations highlight that the inherent limitation to ultrafast energy deposition inside semiconductors with Gaussian focusing [Mouskeftaras et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 105, 191103 (2014)] applies also for high-angle Bessel beams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-related paramagnetic point defects were studied in irradiated Yb-doped phosphate glasses by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (X and Q-bands). A strong impact of the glass network type on the defect nature is shown. In all glasses, r-POHC defects formation is in strong correlation with Q² tetrahedra amount supporting the structure of r-POHC. Ultra-phosphate glasses contain the larger defect type: Peroxy radicals, P1, P2, and P4 defects whose formation is linked to Q³ tetrahedra presence. In meta-phosphate and poly-phosphate glasses, peroxy radicals appear with r-POHC thermal recovery. In meta-phosphate glasses, a combination of P1 and P3 defects was evidenced for the first time, whereas in poly-phosphate glasses, only P3 defects were identified. Dose effect as well as defect recovery were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Third order nonlinear optical characterization of bismuth zinc borate glasses are reported here using different laser pulse durations. Bismuth zinc borate glasses with compositions xBi2O3-30ZnO-(70-x) B2O3 (where x = 30, 35, 40, and 45 mol. %) have been prepared by melt quenching method. These glasses were characterized by Raman, UV-Vis absorption, and Z scan measurements. Raman and UV-Vis spectroscopic results indicate that non-bridging oxygens increase with increase of bismuth content in the glass. Nonlinear absorption and refraction behavior in the nanosecond (ns), picosecond (ps), and femtosecond (fs) time domains were studied in detail. Strong reverse saturable absorption due to dominant two-photon absorption (TPA) was observed with both ps and fs excitations. In the case of ns pulse excitations, TPA and free-carrier absorption processes contribute for the nonlinear absorption. Two-photon absorption coefficient (β) and the absorption cross section due to free carriers (σe) are estimated by theoretical fit of the open aperture Z-scan measurements and found to be dependent on the amount of bismuth oxide in the glass composition. In both ns and fs regimes the sign and magnitude of the third order nonlinearity are evaluated, and the optical limiting characteristics are also reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ tri-doped silicate glass with good thermal stability is prepared by melt-quenching method. Efficient ∼2 μm emission is observed under 808 nm laser excitation. It is found that the 2.0 μm emission of Ho3+ can be enhanced under the excitation at 808 nm by incorporating Er3+ and Tm3+. Based on the measurement of absorption spectra, the Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters, radiation emission probability, and branching ratio are calculated to evaluate the spectroscopic properties simultaneously. The maximum value of emission cross section of Ho3+ is 3.54 × 10-21 cm2 at 2008 nm. Additionally, the phonon assistance and the micro-parameters in the energy transfer process are quantitatively analyzed by using Dexter model. The energy transfer coefficient from Tm3+ to Ho3+ can reach as high as 21.44 × 10-40 cm6/s, respectively. The emission property together with good thermal property indicates that Er3+/Tm3+/Ho3+ tri-doped silicate glass is a potential kind of laser glass for efficient 2 μm laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated silver nanoisland films and patterned silver nanoisland films using out-diffusion of silver from glass in the course of the ion-exchanged glass substrate annealing in reducing hydrogen atmosphere. The choice of the annealing conditions allows to provide prevailing of silver nanoisland formation over the formation of silver nanoparticles in the bulk of the glass. The procedure of the patterned film formation includes (i) silver-sodium ion exchange in the glass, (ii) thermal poling of the ion-exchanged glass with a profiled anodic electrode, and (iii) annealing the glass in hydrogen. The formation of silver nanoislands in unpoled regions on the glass surface allowed us to avoid any post-processing of very fragile silver island film in formation of 2D-patterned nanoisland structures. Poling of the glass with properly profiled electrode was used for the formation of random chains and ordered arrays of separate silver nanoislands. Depending on processing parameters, a typical island size in the films and chains varied from several to tens of nanometers, and was down to 200 nm in the arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absolute quantum cutting efficiency of Tb3+-Yb3+ co-doped glass was quantitatively measured by an integrating sphere detection system, which is independent of the excitation power. As the Yb3+ concentration increases, the near infrared quantum efficiency exhibited an exponential growth with an upper limit of 13.5%, but the visible light efficiency was reduced rapidly. As a result, the total quantum efficiency monotonically decreases rather than increases as theory predicted. In fact, the absolute quantum efficiency was far less than the theoretical value due to the low radiative efficiency of Tb3+ (<61%) and significant cross-relaxation nonradiative loss between Yb3+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a study of materials recovered from a uranium-containing plasma generated by an electric arc. The device used to generate the arc is capable of sustaining temperatures of an eV or higher for up to 100 μs. Samples took the form of a 4 μm-thick 238U film deposited onto 8 pairs of 17 μm-thick Cu electrodes supported on a 25 μm-thick Kapton backing and sandwiched between glass plates. Materials recovered from the glass plates and around the electrode tips after passage of an arc were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Recovered materials included a variety of crystalline compounds (e.g., UO2, UC2, UCu5,) as well as mixtures of uranium and amorphous glass. Most of the materials collected on the glass plates took the form of spherules having a wide range of diameters from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers. The composition and size of the spherules depended on location, indicating different chemical and physical environments. A theoretical analysis we have carried out suggests that the submicron spherules presumably formed by deposition during the arc discharge, while at the same time the glass plates were strongly heated due to absorption of plasma radiation mainly by islands of deposited metals (Cu, U). The surface temperature of the glass plates is expected to have risen to ∼2300 K thus producing a liquefied glass layer, likely diffusions of the deposited metals on the hot glass surface and into this layer were accompanied by chemical reactions that gave rise to the observed materials. These results, together with the compact scale and relatively low cost, suggest that the experimental technique provides a practical approach to investigate the complex physical and chemical processes that occur when actinide-containing material interacts with the environment at high temperature, for example, during fallout formation following a nuclear detonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melt quenching of B2O3 with less than 25 mol. % rare-earth oxide (RE2O3) at ambient pressure results in a milky white glass because of liquid-liquid phase separation into B2O3 and RE2O3·3B2O phases. In contrast, we have found that melt quenching under GPa-order pressure realizes a transparent RE-doped B2O3 glass. This study investigates the local structure around the RE ions in the B2O3 glass prepared at 3 GPa using optical measurements and electron-spin-echo envelope modulation spectroscopy. It is shown that the RE-rich microparticles disappear and the RE ions are isolated from each other in a highly symmetric crystal field formed by triangular and tetrahedral boron units. This result is consistent with that extrapolated from the data for RE-doped sodium borate glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both the single and multiple pulse ablation of dielectrics with high-intensity femtosecond lasers have been well studied. Additionally, the 'pulse-shaping' regime, in which temporal peaks are separated by picoseconds, has also been investigated. In this paper, we show that a 'prepulse configuration'-where one pulse is followed several nanoseconds later by a much stronger pulse-is qualitatively different from any of the previously investigated regimes. In particular, it leads to the recently discovered 'concentric rings' feature in glass. We show that the damage pattern produced in glass is very different for two pulses separated by nanoseconds than for two pulses separated by either milliseconds or picoseconds. For nanosecond separations, the second pulse interacts with the shock wave created by the first, significantly altering the damage pattern. In addition to producing novel structures, this pump-probe technique provides a new way of studying ablation plume and shockwave dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultrasonic method providing for an efficient global detection of defects in complex media (multiple scattering or reverberating media) is reported herein; this method is based on the nonlinear acoustic mixing of coda waves (stemming from multiple scattering) with lower frequency-swept pump waves. Such a nonlinear mixing step is made possible by the presence of nonlinear scatterers, such as cracks and delamination, yet remains absent when the waves are scattered only by linear scatterers, as is the case in a complex but defect-free medium. A global inspection is achieved thanks to the use of wide-band coda and pump signals, which ensure the excitation of many resonances along with a homogeneous acoustic energy distribution in the medium. We introduce the existing sensitivity tools developed for Coda Wave Interferometry in extracting the pump amplitude-dependent parameters of the coda waves associated with effective nonlinear parameters of the medium. By comparing results at two damage levels, these effective nonlinear parameters are shown to be correlated with crack presence in glass samples. The mechanisms potentially responsible for the observed amplitude dependence on the tested elastic parameters and waveform modification are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface orienting effect of rubbed teflon nanolayers on the morphology and electro-optical (EO) response of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) single layers of large nematic droplets was studied experimentally. In PDLC composites of the nematic liquid crystal (LC) E7 and NOA65 polymer, single droplets of LC with diameters as larger as 10 μm were confined in layers with a thickness of 10 μm, and the nematic director field was efficiently modified by nanostructuring teflon rubbing of the glass plates of the PDLC cell. For layered PDLCs arranged and oriented in this way, the modulated EO response by the dielectric oscillations of the nematic director exhibits a selective amplitude-frequency modulation controllable by both temperature and voltage applied, and is simply related to the LC droplet size. That may be of practical interest for PDLC-based modulators operating in the infrasound frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of nanoparticle-containing glasses based on borate glasses co-doped with low contents of iron and larger radius elements, Dy, Tb, Gd, Ho, Er, Y, and Bi, is studied. Heat treatment of these glasses results in formation of magnetic nanoparticles, radically changing their physical properties. Transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron radiation-based techniques: x-ray diffraction, extended x-ray absorption fine structure, x-ray absorption near-edge structure, and small-angle x-ray scattering, show a broad distribution of nanoparticle sizes with characteristics depending on the treatment regime; a crystalline structure of these nanoparticles is detected in heat treated samples. Magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) studies of samples subjected to heat treatment as well as of maghemite, magnetite, and iron garnet allow to unambiguously assign the nanoparticle structure to maghemite, independently of co-dopant nature and of heat treatment regime used. Different features observed in the MCD spectra are related to different electron transitions in Fe3+ ions gathered in the nanoparticles. The static magnetization in heat treated samples has non-linear dependence on the magnetizing field with hysteresis. Zero-field cooled magnetization curves show that at higher temperatures the nanoparticles occur in superparamagnetic state with blocking temperatures above 100 K. Below ca. 20 K, a considerable contribution to both zero field-cooled and field-cooled magnetizations occurs from diluted paramagnetic ions. Variable-temperature electron magnetic resonance (EMR) studies unambiguously show that in as-prepared glasses paramagnetic ions are in diluted state and confirm the formation of magnetic nanoparticles already at earlier stages of heat treatment. Computer simulations of the EMR spectra corroborate the broad distribution of nanoparticle sizes found by 'direct' techniques as well as superparamagnetic nanoparticle behaviour demonstrated in the magnetization studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have used the thermal lens technique combined with conventional spectroscopy to characterize the thermo-optical properties of Er3+-doped lead pyrophosphate-based glasses. More precisely, we have investigated and quantified experimentally the fluorescence quantum efficiencies of the Er3+ levels, and we describe the role of concentration quenching effects. The fluorescence quantum efficiency of the 4I13/2 level is very high when compared to other phosphate glasses, while that of the green-coupled levels is very small. Other important photonic materials parameters, such as the thermal diffusivity and temperature coefficient of the optical path length change, were obtained and compared with those of other glass systems. The cumulative results obtained here for the Er-doped lead pyrophosphate glass show that this material is a good candidate for photonic applications with a characteristic Er3+ infrared emission around 1550 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have examined the correlation between the thermal and optical properties of 30BaO-15TiO2-55GeO2 glass and its mode of preparation, i.e., the different temperatures at which the glass melts were held in a molten state (melt temperature). The changes in the absorption coefficients and the refractive indices, which increased with the increasing melt temperature, were reversible, and temperature-dependent structures were formed in the glass. In the remelted glass with short remelting duration, a black coloration and the precipitation of Pt nanocrystallites were observed. The precipitated Pt nanocrystallites acted as nucleation sites to induce crystallization by heat treatment at 10 °C below the glass transition temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per the rectification model of thermal poling, it has been proposed that intrinsic breakdown strength plays a strong limiting role in the internal DC fields supported by the glass from the poling process. One might therefore hypothesize proportionately larger second-order nonlinearity (SON) in glasses with intrinsically high dielectric breakdown strength. We test these ideas by thermal poling of two different commercial alkali-free alkaline-earth boroaluminosilicate display glasses-one with barium only (AF45 from Schott), and the other with a mixture of alkaline-earth ions (OA-10 G from NEG). Not only are such compositions relevant from a commercial standpoint, they are also interesting in that they have been recently shown to exhibit remarkably high intrinsic dielectric breakdown strengths of 11-14 MV/cm. Quantitative Maker fringe and stack Maker-fringe measurements provide an accurate evaluation of the poling-induced SON susceptibilities, and indicate maximum χ(2) values of 0.44 and 0.26 pm/V in these glasses. These values are comparable to those reported for silica and other multicomponent glasses. Thus, the hypothesis that higher χ(2) would be observed in high intrinsic breakdown strength glasses was not validated. Based on our application of the rectification model, internal fields of the order 2-4 MV/cm were calculated, which are well below the measured intrinsic breakdown strengths at room temperature. The most plausible explanation for these observations is nonlinear electronic conduction effects taking place within the depletion region at the poling temperature, limiting internal fields to a fraction of the breakdown field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloro-sulfide glass with low phonon energy, GeS2-Ga2S3-CsCl, is co-doped with Er and Yb. This active glass is a potential downconversion material for modifying the solar spectrum to improve the efficiency of solar cells. Two downconversion processes from visible to near infrared are observed. In the first process, an energy transfer between Er3+ ions and Yb3+ ions occurs. In that case, one photon is absorbed by the 4I15/2→2H11/2 (Er3+) transition and then two photons are emitted by 2F5/2 →2F7/2 (Yb3+) and 4I13/2→4I15/2 (Er3+), respectively. In the second process, downconversion takes place from the charge-transfer state of Yb3+-S2- to the 4f states of Yb3+ ions, which leads to an intense excitation band between 400 nm and 600 nm, and an emission at 1000 nm. Quantum yields for downconversion are measured. The highest quantum yields of emission below 1200 nm and 1650 nm are equal to 51% and 76%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The static and dynamic magnetic behavior of β-LiFeO2 has been investigated by measuring dc and ac susceptibilities. The zero-field-cooled (ZFC) and field-cooled (FC) curves reveal an irreversibility behavior at about 156 K and a broad peak at 129 K, indicating a spin glass transition. However, the dc susceptibility of β-LiFeO2 in FC mode differs from a flat curve as expected for a homogeneous spin glass by an increase below Tirr, which is the characteristic magnetic behavior of a cluster spin glass. The real part of the ac susceptibility shows a broad maximum at 135 K, which shifts to higher temperatures and becomes less pronounced with increasing frequency. The corresponding parameter δ=ΔTf/TfΔlogω = 0.005 is calculated for β-LiFeO2, suggesting a spin glass state rather than superparamagnetism. In addition, three models (the Néel-Arrhenius law, the Vogel-Fulcher law, and the power law) have also been employed to analyze the frequency dependence of Tf, which confirm a cluster spin glass state in β-LiFeO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

104 times higher Er3+:2.7 μm fluorescence was observed when Ho3+ was added into an Er3+ doped fluorophosphate glass under 976 nm excitation. Obviously changed J-O parameters and the calculated spectroscopic properties of Er3+ prove that Ho3+ influences the local environment of Er3+ greatly. Increased upconversion luminescence around 550 nm and 658 nm shows that heat generation rises with Ho3+ introduction. Complicated energy transfer processes exist in this codoping situation and interactions among the excessive Ho3+ ions are considered as the dominant energy loss mechanisms, otherwise, the sensitizing effect from Ho3+ to Er3+ is very high if Ho3+:Er3+ ratio below 4. All the calculated results coincide well with the measured ones. Excellent 2.7 μm spectroscopic property, Raman analysis, together with the outstanding glass forming ability identify that this Er3+/Ho3+ codoped fluorophosphate glass can be effectively used for Er3+:2.7 μm fiber laser. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viscosity of the AsxSe100-x family of glasses has been measured for 10 ≤ x ≤ 40 using beam bending and parallel plate viscometry, and fit with the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamann (VFT) viscosity model. Measurement of other physical properties of the glasses, including the density, glass transition temperature, and coefficient of thermal expansion has been conducted in order to accurately calculate the viscosity as a function of temperature and glass composition. The variation in fragility of the glasses is explained in the context of frozen-in configurational entropy in the glasses. This configurational entropy has minima at the endpoints of the one-dimensional network of amorphous selenium and the fully three-dimensional network of As40Se60, and an apparent maximum at the composition As30Se70. The frozen-in configurational entropy can be well described by a modified entropy of mixing of two solid solutions model, implying that the topological contribution to configurational entropy is nearly constant across the composition space studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2.7 μm emission properties and energy transfer mechanism of Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses are investigated in present paper. Absorption and emission spectra were tested to characterize the 2.7 μm emission properties of Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses and a reasonable energy transfer mechanism of 2.7 μm emission between Er3+ and Nd3+ ions was proposed. Intense 2.7 μm emission was obtained from Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glasses due to the efficient energy transfer from Nd3+ to Er3+ ions under 808 nm LD pumping. Meanwhile, strongly decreased 545 nm up-conversion and 1.5 μm emissions were observed. Additionally, to obtain efficient 2.7 μm emission, the optimized concentration ratio of Nd3+ to Er3+ was found to be 0.5:1 in present glass system. Our results suggest that the present Nd3+/Er3+ co-doped sodium tellurite glass might have potential application in mid-infrared lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high-speed framing photography operating at 500000 frames per second, it has been shown that in Prince Rupert's drops of a lead oxide-silica glass containing 24% by weight of lead oxide, the fracture waves propagate at a stable and self-sustained manner at a speed of (1300 ± 100) m s-1. This fracture wave speed is close to the terminal crack speed in the glass. These results, along with those from Prince Rupert's drops of soda-lime glass reported by us earlier, confirm that the speed of a self-sustained fracture wave in a glass is controlled by the terminal speed of individual cracks in the glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amorphous semiconductors and chalcogenide glasses exhibit a high density of localized states in their bandgap as a consequence of structural defects or due to a lack of long range order. These defect states have a strong influence on the electronic transport properties. Thus, many theories attribute the 'resistance drift' or the 'threshold switching' effects, both observed in amorphous phase change alloys, to defects within the bandgap. The energetic distribution of states within the bandgap can be probed via modulated photocurrent (MPC) experiments that enable a spectroscopy of the relative density of these defect states by varying the modulation frequency at various temperatures T. It is also a common feature that the bandgap decreases with temperature. Nevertheless, the consequences of a shrinking bandgap with increasing temperature have been neglected in the classical analysis of MPC experiments. In this paper, we propose to add correction terms to the classical MPC energy scaling to take the temperature dependence of the bandgap of the studied material into account to improve the accuracy of the determination of the defect distribution. We illustrate the efficacy of our proposed corrections by applying it to the study of disordered materials such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon a-Si:H, a-GeTe and a-Ge2Sb2Te5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strong coherent effect was observed in the monochromatic optical Kerr effect (OKE) experiment of a Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 oxide glass (BI glass). To eliminate the influence of the coherent effect, we proposed a simple femtosecond two-color OKE measurement method with wavelength tunability using a supercontinuum. In the two-color OKE measurement the third order nonlinear susceptibility of the BI glass was measured to be 1.64 × 10-13 electrostatic units (esu), in which the influence of the coherent effect was eliminated. The result is smaller than that obtained in a previous monochromatic OKE experiment. In addition, we discuss the discrepancies between the result obtained in this paper and those reported in other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient Nd3+→Yb3+ resonant and phonon-assisted energy transfer processes have been observed in phosphate glasses and have been studied using steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopies. Results indicate that the energy transfer occurs via nonradiative electric dipole-dipole processes and is enhanced with the concentration of Yb3+ acceptor ions, having an efficiency higher than 75% for the glass doped with 1 mol% of Nd2O3 and 4 mol% of Yb2O3. The luminescence decay curves show a nonexponential character and the energy transfer microscopic parameter calculated with the Inokuti-Hirayama model gives a value of 240 × 10-40 cm6 s-1, being one of the highest reported in the literature for Nd3+-Yb3+ co-doped matrices. From the steady-state experimental absorption and emission cross-sections, a general expression for estimating the microscopic energy transfer parameter is proposed based upon the theoretical methods developed by Miyakawa and Dexter and Tarelho et al. This expression takes into account all the resonant mechanisms involved in an energy transfer processes together with other phonon-assisted nonvanishing overlaps. The value of the Nd3+→Yb3+ energy transfer microscopic parameter has been calculated to be 200 × 10-40 cm6 s-1, which is in good agreement with that obtained from the Inokuti-Hirayama fitting. These results show the importance of the nonresonant phonon-assisted Nd3+→Yb3+ energy transfer processes and the great potential of these glasses as active matrices in the development of multiple-pump-channel Yb3+ lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new criterion has been recently proposed combining the topological instability (λ criterion) and the average electronegativity difference (Δe) among the elements of an alloy to predict and select new glass-forming compositions. In the present work, this criterion (λ.Δe) is applied to the Al-Ni-La and Al-Ni-Gd ternary systems and its predictability is validated using literature data for both systems and additionally, using own experimental data for the Al-La-Ni system. The compositions with a high λ.Δe value found in each ternary system exhibit a very good correlation with the glass-forming ability of different alloys as indicated by their supercooled liquid regions (ΔTx) and their critical casting thicknesses. In the case of the Al-La-Ni system, the alloy with the largest λ.Δe value, La56Al26.5Ni17.5, exhibits the highest glass-forming ability verified for this system. Therefore, the combined λ.Δe criterion is a simple and efficient tool to select new glass-forming compositions in Al-Ni-RE systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]