Functionalities in unconventional oxide glasses prepared using a levitation technique

Abstract

Over the last 20 years, many unconventional oxide glasses have been fabricated in bulk using a levitation technique. These glasses contain no or less network-former oxides; thus, they have been supposed not to vitrify so far. The levitation technique could vitrify them because the levitated melt was maintained without touching anything; thus, crystal nucleation was extremely suppressed. This review presents a brief introduction to the levitation technique. It also summarizes some functionalities that emerged in the glasses prepared using this technique, such as high refractive index, infrared transparency, strong luminescence, large magneto-optical effect, high elastic moduli, and crack resistance.