Optical glasses and their uses
View Patent ↗The optical glass has an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 . Optical elements made with this optical glass are especially desirable in optical data transfer applications, particularly in read-write devices with movable read-write heads. The glass compositions required to make optical glass with these properties are described.
1. An optical element for an optical data transfer device said optical element comprising an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 , wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by might based on oxide content which consists of:
La 2 O 3
30 to 45
B 2 O 3
30 to 40
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
PbO
0.1 to 5
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
MgO
0 to 8
CaO
0 to 8
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 8
ZnO
1 to 10
TiO 2
0 to 5
ZrO 2
1 to 10
Y 2 O 3
1 to 8
Yb 2 O 3
0.1 to 2
Gd 2 O 3
0.1 to 5
Nb 2 O 5
0.1 to 10
with MgO + CaO + SrO + BaO
0 to 10
with Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 10;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
2. An optical element for an optical data transfer device said optical element comprising an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 , wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
35 to 50
B 2 O 3
30 to 40
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
SiO 2
0 to 8
GeO 2
0.5 to 15
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 2
BaO
0.1 to 7
ZnO
0 to 5
ZrO 2
0.1 to 8
Y 2 O 3
0.1 to 6
Gd 2 O 3
0 to 5
Nb 2 O 5
1 to 10
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 10;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
3. An optical element for an optical data transfer device said optical element comprising an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 , wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
40 to 55
B 2 O 3
22 to 32
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
SiO 2
1 to 8
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 2
ZnO
0.5 to 6
TiO 2
0 to 1.0
ZrO 2
2 to 10
Y 2 O 3
3 to 11
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 8;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
4. An optical element for an optical data transfer device said optical element comprising an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 , wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which comprises:
La 2 O 3
10 to 16
B 2 O 3
1 to 8
Al 2 O 3
0 to 3
SiO 2
20 to 30
Li 2 O
0 to 1.5
Na 2 O
0 to 8
K 2 O
0 to 8
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 8
ZnO
1 to 8
ZrO 2
0.5 to 6
TiO 2
3 to 11
Nb 2 O 5
10 to 18
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 8;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
5. A read-and-write device for optical data transfer, said read-and-write device comprising at least one optical element;
wherein said at least one optical element comprises an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) that is greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 and wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
30 to 45
B 2 O 3
30 to 40
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
PbO
0.1 to 5
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
MgO
0 to 8
CaO
0 to 8
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 8
ZnO
1 to 10
TiO 2
0 to 5
ZrO 2
1 to 10
Y 2 O 3
1 to 8
Yb 2 O 3
0.1 to 2
Gd 2 O 3
0.1 to 5
Nb 2 O 5
0.1 to 10
with MgO + CaO + SrO + BaO
0 to 10
with Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 10;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
6. A read-and-write device for optical data transfer, said read-and-write device comprising at least one optical element; wherein said at least one optical element comprises an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) that is greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 and wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
35 to 50
B 2 O 3
30 to 40
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
SiO 2
0 to 8
GeO 2
0.5 to 15
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 2
BaO
0.1 to 7
ZnO
0 to 5
ZrO 2
0.1 to 8
Y 2 O 3
0.1 to 6
Gd 2 O 3
0 to 5
Nb 2 O 5
1 to 10
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 10;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
7. A read-and-write device for optical data transfer, said read-and-write device comprising at least one optical element; wherein said at least one optical element comprises an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) that is greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 and wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
40 to 55
B 2 O 3
22 to 32
Al 2 O 3
0 to 5
SiO 2
1 to 8
Li 2 O
0 to 10
Na 2 O
0 to 10
K 2 O
0 to 10
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 2
ZnO
0.5 to 6
TiO 2
0 to 1.0
ZrO 2
2 to 10
Y 2 O 3
3 to 11
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 8;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
8. A read-and-write device for optical data transfer, said read-and-write device comprising at least one optical element; wherein said at least one optical element comprises an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν) that is greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 and wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which consists of:
La 2 O 3
10 to 16
B 2 O 3
1 to 8
Al 2 O 3
0 to 3
SiO 2
20 to 30
Li 2 O
0 to 1.5
Na 2 O
0 to 8
K 2 O
0 to 8
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 8
ZnO
1 to 8
ZrO 2
0.5 to 6
TiO 2
3 to 11
Nb 2 O 5
10 to 18
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 8;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at least one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .
9. An optical element for an optical data transfer device said optical element comprising an optical glass with an index of refraction (n d ) greater than or equal to 1.70, an Abbé number (ν d ) greater than or equal to 35 and a density (ρ) that is less than or equal to 4.5 g/cm 3 , wherein said optical glass is a lanthanate borate glass with a composition, in percent by weight based on oxide content, which comprises:
La 2 O 3
10 to 16
B 2 O 3
1 to 8
Al 2 O 3
0 to 3
SiO 2
20 to 30
Li 2 O
0 to 1.5
Na 2 O
0 to 8
K 2 O
0 to 8
Rb 2 O
0 to 10
Cs 2 O
0 to 10
CaO
17.8 to 30
SrO
0 to 8
BaO
0 to 8
ZnO
1 to 8
ZrO 2
0.5 to 6
TiO 2
3 to 11
Nb 2 O 5
10 to 18
With Li 2 O + Na 2 O + K 2 O + Rb 2 O + Cs 2 O
0 to 8;
and from 0 to 1.5 percent by weight of at feast one refining agent, wherein said at least one refining agent is selected from the group consisting of SO 4 −2 , Cl − , Sb 2 O 3 , As 2 O 3 , SnO 2 and CeO 2 .