Abstract
Silica glass is the most indispensable material for high-power laser applications and optical communications
due to its superior optical properties. However, optical loss remains an outstanding challenge in
both fields. More than 80% of the optical loss in silica glass is due to Rayleigh scattering, which can be
suppressed by reducing density fluctuations. Previously, reducing fictive temperature had been the only
path to reduce density fluctuations. Pressure-quenching is an alternate method that has been recently
discovered. Here, I review the finding of the pressure-induced suppression of the optical loss by considering
the voids in silica glass. For further reduction of optical scattering, our recent research in compressed
glass at higher pressures is presented using both experimental and simulation studies. Other reports
of glass treated at various pressures and temperatures are reviewed to examine the possibility of
controlling fluctuations in glass.
