Abstract

Index profile control is essential in the manufacture of GRIN lens blanks. Yet the evolution of the index profile during ion exchange with finite salt melts in some important glass/salt pairs is not well understood at this time. In this paper, we present a technique for monitoring the development of the index profile as it is formed, including the effects arising from concentration dependence, structural changes and time-dependent boundary conditions. The resulting data will contribute to a more precise formulation of the actual conditions that gradient index materials are made in, and lead to better control and repeatability of gradient lens blanks manufactured by ion exchange in glass.

© 1987 Optical Society of America