New glass can replace expensive crystals in some lasers and bring high power to small packages.

0 Comments | M2 Presswire, October, 2003

M2 PRESSWIRE-8 October 2003-NSF: New glass can replace expensive crystals in some lasers and bring high power to small packages(C)1994-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD RDATE:10072003 ARLINGTON, Va. - Researchers have developed a new family of glasses that will bring higher power to smaller packages in lasers and optical devices and provide a less-expensive alternative to many other optical glasses and crystals, like sapphire.

Called REAl(tm) Glass (Rare-earth - Aluminum oxide), the materials are durable, provide a good host for atoms that improve laser performance, and may extend the range of wavelengths that a single laser can currently produce. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Containerless Research, Inc. (CRI), based in the...