Multicomponent Optical Glasses with High Refractive Index

The effect of the modifying oxides Nb₂O₅, BaO, Ga₂O₃, and TiO₂ on the glass-forming ability, the thermal, physical, and optical properties of glasses in the four-component system La₂O₃–Al₂O₃–B₂O₃–SiO₂ (LABS) was studied. It was found that by modifying the LABS system high values of the refractive index (n_D = 1.81) can be obtained together with low crystallizability and optically uniform glass castings up to 150 mm in size. The diversity of the coordination states of modifier cations determines their complex effect on the properties of glasses and the appearance of non-monotonic concentration dependences of the properties. The synthesis of the multicomponent glass in a 300 ml crucible by means of optical glass-melting confirms the composition’s potential for implementation on an industrial scale.