Patent ID: 8534095

Claim:
A method for producing a photorefractive, polarizing glass article or element, said method comprising the steps of: providing a glass composition capable of having both photorefractive and polarizing properties; forming the glass composition into a shape suitable for redrawing; subjecting the shaped glass to a first heat treatment at a temperature in the range of 575-725° C. for a time in the range 1-4 hours to form silver halide particles in the glass; subsequent to the first heat treatment, redrawing the glass at a draw temperature that allows a glass viscosity greater than 10 6 poise and a pulling velocity sufficient to apply a force greater than 3500 psi to elongate the silver halide particles; conducting a photorefractive exposure on the glass by exposing the redrawn glass to UV radiation in the range of 190-360 nm for a time in the range of 1 minute to 7 hours; subjecting the photorefractively exposed glass to a second heat treatment at a temperature in the range of 400-500° C. for a time in the range of 1-4 hours; and subsequent to the second heat treatment, conducting a hydrogen reduction of the glass at a temperature in the range of 390-450° C. for a time in the range of 1-6 hours to produce at least one polarizing layer and to thereby form a glass article that is a polarizing, photorefractive glass article: wherein the thickness of the hydrogen reduced polarizing layer is 40 μm or less.