Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1990. / Spine Title: Modeling refractive index variation. Includes index. "References": leaves 148-153.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 188-194). Also available via the Internet.

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QC 351 A7 no. 03 / The problems connected with the utilization of large high -resolution telescopes are concentrated into two principal areas. The first concerns the physical properties of the mirror disc; the second involves the pro- cessing of the mirror in the optical shop. This technical report concerns, 1) the design of a new type of opti- cal polisher, one with a stationary mirror platform, and, 2) the casting of large discs made up of a new type of glass. This new glass, designated type RZ by Owens -Illinois, has a zero coefficient of thermal expansion at 25° Centigrade. A proposal for research in these two areas has already been made. This research has been supported, in part, under Contract ONR -2173- (12) by the Advanced Research Projects Agency and administered by the Office of Naval Research.

The first part of this research constituted the study of oligomeric incorporation into an inorganic network leading to the fonnation of a hybrid material by the sol-gel process. The oligomeric species chosen was silanol terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and the inorganic oxide precursor chosen was titanium tetra-isopropoxide (TIP). The rationale for choosing these materials stemmed from the desire to make materials for optical filters since a gradient of optical properties can be derived based on the composition and the initial reaction conditions. 29Si NMR studies were conducted to investigate the incorporation process which led to the conclusion that the PDMS chains were being degraded by the TIP. This problem led to the synthesis of TIP endcapped PDMS which was then used as the oligomeric component in the hybrid materials. The endcapping changed the functionality of the oligomer to six, and more importantly, its reactivity which was now closer to that of the TIP. Also, having the same functionality at the ends as the precursor affects the compatibility of the two components. Hybrid materials in the form of free standing films were fabricated from varying TIP/pDMS compositions and different initial reaction conditions. The hybrid materials synthesized were then subjected to a systematic structure-property relationship study. The degree of phase mixing or the encapsulation of the siloxane phase by the inorganic oxide increases with higher TIP content. This behaviour was seen by both the dielectric and dynamic mechanical studies. The modulus and the stress to break increased with higher TIP content while the strain to break decreased. At the 50/50 TIP/PDMS composition there was an abrupt change in the mechanical properties which signified a morphological change in these materials. The refractive indices of the materials also showed a trend similar to that of the mechanical properties. Three different cure procedures, viz., room temperature, thermal cure at 70 °C and microwave cure at 70 °C were utilized to fabricate the films. More phase separation occurred in the microwave cured over the thermally cured materials as evident from dielectric and dynamic mechanical studies. However, the effect diminished with higher TIP content in the materials. Changing the initial reaction conditions by varying the initial water and acid content changed the properties observed in the final products. Dielectric and dynamic mechanical studies showed that the phase separation was higher with increased water content. Also, the modulus of the materials made with increased water content was higher. Decreased acid content led to better dispersion of the two components as shown by the dielectric and dynamic mechanical experiments. The effect of using a less reactive inorganic component tetra-ethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), instead of TIP was also studied. The TEOS/pDMS materials showed more phase mixing than the TIPIPDMS materials, although, the dielectric tan δ peak maxima appeared at a lower temperature. The TEOS/PDMS materials were also less stiff than the TIP/PDMS materials. Structural studies were conducted by means of solid-state NMR, electron microscopy and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). With few exceptions, these studies correlated very well with the properties observed in these materials. The spin-lattice relaxation times obtained from the solid-state NMR correlated with the better phase mixing observed in the TEOSIPDMS materials relative to the TIPIPDMS materials. Electron microscopy in the backscattered mode showed the presence of microphase separation in these materials. At the 50/50 TIPIPDMS composition connectivity of the inorganic oxide phase was complete, perhaps encapsulating the siloxane phase totally. Microstructural differences were observed due to the variation in the cure modes. The domain sizes of the oxide phase were finer in the thermally cured as compared to the room temperature cured materials. Higher water content led to a very different microstructure when compared to materials made with lower water content. Smaller spherical particulate type structures were observed in the material made with higher water content. The domain sizes of the oxide phase in the TEOS/PDMS material were bigger than those in the TIP/PDMS material of equivalent composition. These differences may be intimately related to the reactivity difference between TIP and TEOS. The SAXS data supported the microstructure seen by electron microscopy and the properties observed by dynamic mechanical, dielectric and mechanical studies. / Ph. D.

The nonlinear optical properties of a semiconductor-doped glass (SDG) channel waveguide were measured on a picosecond time-scale; namely, fluence-dependent changes in the absorption and the refractive index as well as the relaxation time of the nonlinearity. Slower, thermally-induced changes in the refractive index were also observed. The saturation of the changes in the absorption and the refractive index with increasing optical fluence is explained using a plasma model with bandfilling as the dominant mechanism. The fast relaxation time of the excited electron-hole plasma (20 ps) is explained using a surface-state recombination model. A figure of merit for a nonlinear directional coupler fabricated in a material with a saturable nonlinear refractive index is presented. The measured nonlinear change in the refractive index of the SDG saturates below the value required to effect fluence-dependent switching in a nonlinear directional coupler. Experiments with a channel-waveguide directional coupler support this prediction. However, absorption switching due to differential saturation of the absorption in the two arms of the directional coupler was observed.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas ópticos, o uso do laser e conseqüentemente a necessidade de superfícies refrativas com alto grau de acabamento e precisão estão aumentando significativamente a demanda por pesquisas na usinagem de alta precisão. As superfícies obtidas com os usuais processos de polimento são limitadas a formas planas, cilíndricas e esféricas e requerem muito tempo para se obter resultados satisfatórios. A retificação de materiais frágeis é uma alternativa ao polimento e lapidação e os resultados obtidos mostram que o uso de um tomo de alta precisão com um cabeçote retificador é uma proposta viável para a geração de superfícies anesféricas. Este trabalho trata do estudo de retificação de vidros ópticos e objetiva a definição dos parâmetros de usinagem para a obtenção do acabamento superficial desejado, mostra a influência do avanço na rugosidade e estuda o efeito da variação do avanço e da rotação do rebolo. Como principais resultados tem-se a definição da melhor condição de avanço e rotação e uma comparação com outros trabalhos apresentados com dressagem eletrolítica e sem este recurso, concluindo-se que é possível e viável a retificação de vidros ópticos em uma retificadora de alta precisão e que a possibilidade de variação de rotação do rebolo é um fator diferencial. / The development of optical systems, the use of laser and consequently the need of refractive surface with high finish levels and precision are increasing significantly the demand for research on high precision machining. The surfaces obtained with the usual polishing process are lirnited in plane, cilindrical and spherical shape and spend a lot of time to obtain a good result. The grinding of brittle materiaIs is an altemative to polishing and lapping and the results shown that the use of a high precision lathe with a grinding spindle is a viable proposition to generate aspherics surfaces. This is a study of optical glasses grinding and the objective is to defrne the grinding parameters to achieve the smoothness desired, it shows the influence of feed rate in the smoothness and study the effects of feed rate and diamond wheel rotation. As the main results, is showed the best condition of feedrate and rotation and a comparison with another work with eletrolytic in process dressing (ELID) and without this resource, and the conclusion is that is possible and feasible to grind optical glass with a high precision grinding machine and the possibility to vary the diamond wheel rotation is a differencial.

O desenvolvimento de sistemas ópticos, o uso do laser e conseqüentemente a necessidade de superfícies refrativas com alto grau de acabamento e precisão estão aumentando significativamente a demanda por pesquisas na usinagem de alta precisão. As superfícies obtidas com os usuais processos de polimento são limitadas a formas planas, cilíndricas e esféricas e requerem muito tempo para se obter resultados satisfatórios. A retificação de materiais frágeis é uma alternativa ao polimento e lapidação e os resultados obtidos mostram que o uso de um tomo de alta precisão com um cabeçote retificador é uma proposta viável para a geração de superfícies anesféricas. Este trabalho trata do estudo de retificação de vidros ópticos e objetiva a definição dos parâmetros de usinagem para a obtenção do acabamento superficial desejado, mostra a influência do avanço na rugosidade e estuda o efeito da variação do avanço e da rotação do rebolo. Como principais resultados tem-se a definição da melhor condição de avanço e rotação e uma comparação com outros trabalhos apresentados com dressagem eletrolítica e sem este recurso, concluindo-se que é possível e viável a retificação de vidros ópticos em uma retificadora de alta precisão e que a possibilidade de variação de rotação do rebolo é um fator diferencial. / The development of optical systems, the use of laser and consequently the need of refractive surface with high finish levels and precision are increasing significantly the demand for research on high precision machining. The surfaces obtained with the usual polishing process are lirnited in plane, cilindrical and spherical shape and spend a lot of time to obtain a good result. The grinding of brittle materiaIs is an altemative to polishing and lapping and the results shown that the use of a high precision lathe with a grinding spindle is a viable proposition to generate aspherics surfaces. This is a study of optical glasses grinding and the objective is to defrne the grinding parameters to achieve the smoothness desired, it shows the influence of feed rate in the smoothness and study the effects of feed rate and diamond wheel rotation. As the main results, is showed the best condition of feedrate and rotation and a comparison with another work with eletrolytic in process dressing (ELID) and without this resource, and the conclusion is that is possible and feasible to grind optical glass with a high precision grinding machine and the possibility to vary the diamond wheel rotation is a differencial.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2008. / "Graduate Program in Ceramic and Materials Science and Engineering." Includes bibliographical references (p. 155-163).

Les verres de tellures sont des matériaux récemment remis au goût du jour pour des applications en optiques. Certaines compositions permettent en effet de transmettre la lumière loin dans l’infrarouge au-delà de 20 µm, mais leur tendance naturelle à recristalliser rend difficile la fabrication d’objet pour la photonique telle que des fibres optiques. Des verres du système Te-Ge-Se ont été développés dans le cadre du projet Darwin de l’Agence Spatiale Européenne permettant de détecter la bande d’absorption du CO2 à 15 µm. La première fibre optique monomode a été obtenue à partir d’une nouvelle méthode de fabrication de préforme par moulage. Les verres de tellure du système Te-Ge-AgI sont les seuls à ne pas présenter de pic de cristallisation en analyse thermique. Leur stabilité a été mise à profit pour développer des fibres optiques avec un niveau très bas de pertes optiques, de l’ordre de 3 dB∙m-1, ce qui constitue un record. Ces fibres ont été utilisées pour mettre en œuvre des expériences de spectroscopie par ondes évanescentes permettant d’accéder à une gamme de longueurs d’onde encore jamais atteinte de 2 à 16 µm. Ce gain sera de première importance pour la mise en service de ces fibres en biologie ou médecine.Par ailleurs, les verres de tellure sont les verres présentant les conductivités électroniques les plus élevées jamais mesurées. Il s’agit donc de matériaux potentiellement intéressants pour la thermoélectricité. Certaines compositions du système (Te/Se)-(As/Sb/Bi)-(Cu/Ag) ont été synthétisées et caractérisées. Des matériaux composites obtenus par broyage et compression de poudres de verre et de Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 cristallisé ont été préparés. Ces derniers présentent un ZT = 0.365 à 413 K, ce qui est encourageant pour l’avenir. / The tellurium-based glasses are of interest because of their transparency in the mid- and far-infrared range. Tellurium-based glasses and optical fibers can be used for the detection the atmosphere of terrestrial planets in Darwin project and the identification of chemical species in the daily life. For the detection of CO2 (15 µm) on exoplanet, high purity Te-Ge-Se experimental single mode fiber which can transmit light up to 16 μm has been successfully fabricated based on a new preform molding process. Moreover, Te-Ge-AgI glasses, which present no crystallization peak and far infrared transmittance beyond 30 μm (as bulk), are also candidates for infrared sensing. A structural model proposed in this work provides some explanations on their good thermal stability. Low-loss single index fibers drawn from these glasses have shown their capabilities to collect mid-infrared spectra from 2 to 16 µm. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first fiber evanescent wave spectra collected on such a wide range. This achievement will be essential for future medical applications.Otherwise, tellurium-based glasses, due to the intrinsic poor thermal conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient, are good candidates as new materials in the thermoelectricity field. Te-As-Se-Cu glass with the introduction of copper up to 25% has been explored. By sintering this glass with Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3, glass-ceramic composites were also obtained exhibiting maximum zT values equal to 0.365 at 413 K.