Claims
- 1. A device having optical homogeneity, prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
- (a) optically contacting surfaces of first and second single crystal materials to form an assembly;
- (b) bonding said optically contacted surfaces of step (a), by gradually heating said surfaces to a temperature below the fusion temperature of said surfaces, but at a temperature and for a time sufficient to diffusion bond said surfaces of said first and second materials; and
- (c) cooling the bonded structure of step (b) at a rate which allows the removal of stress by annealing, wherein a bonding agent or bonding film is not present between said bonded first and second single crystal materials.
- 2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the single crystal containing materials have about the same melting temperature and the bonding temperature of step (b) is a temperature corresponding from about 0.4 to about 0.9 times the value of the melting temperature of the materials.
- 3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second single crystal materials have substantially the same coefficients of thermal expansion.
- 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second crystal materials are gadolinium scandium gallium garnet crystals.
- 5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first crystal material is doped with at least one of laser radiation-absorbing ions, laser-active ions, or solarization-preventing ions.
- 6. A device according to claim 5, wherein the second crystal material is doped with at least one of laser radiation-absorbing ions, laser-active ions, or solarization-preventing ions.
- 7. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second crystal material is doped with at least one of laser radiation-absorbing ions, laser-active ions, or solarization-preventing ions.
- 8. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first crystal material is comprised of at least two parts bonded as edge cladding to the second crystal material.
- 9. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second materials have different indices of refraction.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 07/672,251 filed Mar. 20, 1992, now abandoned, in turn a Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/597,987 filed Oct. 15, 1990, now abandoned, in turn a Continuation of application Ser. No. 07/446,214 filed Dec. 5, 1989, abandoned, in turn a Divisional of application Ser. No. 07/238,563 filed Aug. 30, 1988, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0136050 |
May 1984 |
EPX |
0232935 |
Jan 1987 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
McLellan, G. W., Glass Engineering Handbook, Third Edition, pp. 1-1 to 1-3 and 4-4 to 4-11. |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
238563 |
Aug 1988 |
|
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
672251 |
Mar 1991 |
|
Parent |
446214 |
Dec 1989 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
597987 |
Oct 1990 |
|