NON-TRADITIONAL METHODS OF MODIFYING THE COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF FIBRE-OPTICS GLASSES

摘要

This article, based on experimental data analysis and calculations of mutual diffusion of components of the core and coating glasses in fibre-optics, demonstrates the possibility of significant modification of compositions and properties of these glasses and, therefore, of the final parameters of fibre-optics parts, such as microchannel plates (MCP), flexible and rigid imaging fibre bundles, etc. The method deviates from the traditional way, where parameter modifications have to be achieved by varying the compositions of initial glasses, in that it indicates the possibility of modifying refractive index, viscosity, density, thermal expansion coefficient of fibre-optics glasses in the course of the manufacturing technological process for these parts, by creating conditions of base-ionic exchange of glasses employed in core and coating of fibre-optical parts.Results obtained have been used to manufacture MCPs that are stable under repeated thermal processing up to 500-520 °C, and also in production of enhanced transparency MCPs (up to 70-80%), in upgrading parameters of flexible image bundles for medical applications.