Method to assess the homogeneity of partially crystallized glasses: Application to a photo-thermo-refractive glass

We describe a new method for the study of both optical and crystallization homogeneity of partially crystallized glasses or glass–ceramics at different spatial scales (from 100 mm to 1 μm). The method relies on the association of different techniques, such as interferometry, optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The method was tested to probe the optical and crystallization homogeneity of both as-made and UV-exposed, and pre-nucleated samples of a photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass. This study demonstrates that pure UV-exposure did not lead to an improvement of the crystallization homogeneity of the glass. However, the benefit of associating UV-exposure and nucleation thermal treatment was clear. These combined treatments permit to homogenize the crystal distribution in PTR glass at millimeter and micron scale. This result is of major commercial interest.