Method of manufacture of copper-doped glasses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767259-B2
Application number	US-202017117681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A copper-doped glass formed by placing a target glass in a container, surrounding the target glass with a powder mixture comprised of SiO 2 powder and Cu 2 S powder, wherein the SiO 2 powder and the Cu 2 S powder are mixed according to the formula (SiO 2 ) (1-x) (Cu 2 S) x , where 0.01<x<0.1, and heated to a temperature of between 800° C. and 1150° C. for a duration of between 1 and 10 hours.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A copper-doped glass formed by placing a target glass in a container, surrounding the target glass with a powder mixture comprised of SiO 2 powder and Cu 2 S powder, wherein the SiO 2 powder and the Cu 2 S powder are mixed according to the formula (SiO 2 ) (1-x) (Cu 2 S) x , where 0.01<x<0.1, heating to a temperature of between 800° C. and 1150° C. for a duration of between 1 and 10 hours; forming a copper-doped glass; and wherein the copper-doped glass comprises copper concentrations from 0.01 weight percent to 10 weight percent.

2. The copper-doped glass of claim 1 wherein the copper-doped glass is luminescent when exposed to ultraviolet light and is transparent to its luminescent wavelength.

3. The copper-doped glass of claim 1 wherein the copper-doped glass, when exposed to ionizing radiation, exhibits prompt radioluminescence and exhibits ionization of a fraction of the copper ions in the copper-doped glass and trapping of electrons at defects in the copper-doped glass.

4. The copper-doped glass of claim 1 wherein the copper-doped glass has the capacity to store between 1E10 and 1E18 trapped electrons or charges per cubic centimeter.

5. The copper-doped glass of claim 1 wherein the copper-doped glass is thermoluminescent and optically stimulable luminescent due to the presence of populated traps that are formed upon exposure to ultraviolet light and/or ionizing radiation.

6. The copper-doped glass of claim 3 wherein release of the trapped electrons is followed by luminescent recombination of the electrons with ionized Cu++ ions.

7. The copper-doped glass of claim 3 wherein release of the trapped electrons is induced by heating.

8. The copper-doped glass of claim 3 wherein release of the trapped electrons is induced by optical stimulation.

Assignees

• Us Gov Sec Navy

Inventors

• Justus Brian L
• Huston Alan L
• Marcheschi Barbara A

Classifications

• C03C23/002 Primary

  by ultraviolet light · CPC title

• C03C3/06

  with more than 90% silica by weight, e.g. quartz {(C03C3/045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C03C3/076

  with 40% to 90% silica, by weight {(C03C3/045 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C03C4/12

  for luminescent glass; for fluorescent glass · CPC title

• C03C14/006

  the non-glass component being in the form of microcrystallites, e.g. of optically or electrically active material · CPC title