Process for producing optical element

Claim 2

A process for producing an optical element comprising the steps of (a) impregnating a porous transparent base material having an optical property with a photo-decomposable compound to form an impregnated base material, and (b) irradiating in at least one direction the impregnated base material with light rays to expose the photo-decomposable compound to quantities of light of decreasing intensity in the direction of the irradiating light rays, thereby decomposing the photo-decomposable compound to form a photolysis compound in a distribution decreasing in the direction of the irradiating light rays; said distribution of the photolysis compound being capable of altering said optical property of the base material.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating step is performed using parallel light rays.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1, wherein the impregnating step is performed with the photo-decomposable compound in vapo form.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1, further comprising (c) heating the porous base material to eliminate the pores.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating step radiates the material in at least two directions.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 5, wherein the two directions are opposite each other.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating step varies the radiation intensity across the surface of the base material.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 1 wherein the base material is a porous glass.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 1, wherein the optical property is refractive index.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 9, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is an organometallic compound.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 9, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Tl and Pb.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 9, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is a member selected from the group consisting of Ti(C 5 H 5 ) 2 Cl 2 , Ti(C 5 H 5 ) 2 (CH 3 ) 2 , (C 2 H 5 ) 3 PbCl, (C 6 H 5 )Tl(C 2 H 5 ), and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 4, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, La, Cs and Li.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 1, wherein the optical property is the optical density.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 14, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is an organometallic compound.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 14, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe

Claim 18

A process according to claim 16, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is a member selected from the group consisting of Co 2 (CO), Fe(CO) 5 , Mn 2 (CO) 10 , and mixtures thereof.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 14, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Ni, Cu, Ag and Au.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 1, wherein the impregnating step is performed by immersing the base material in a solution or dispersion of the photo-decomposable compound in a solvent.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 1, wherein the process is carried out in an inert atmosphere.

Claim 22

A process for producing an optical element comprising the steps of (a) impregnating a porous transparent base material having an optical property with a photo-decomposable compound to form an impregnated base material, (b) irradiating in at least one direction the impregnated base material with light rays to expose the photo-decomposable compound to quantities of light of decreasing intensity in the direction of the irradiating light rays, thereby decomposing the photo-decomposable compound to form a photolysis compound in a distribution decreasing in the direction of the irradiating light ray; (c) removing from the base material the non-decomposed photo-decomposable compound remaining after the irradiating with light rays step; and (d) heating the impregnated base material to cause the photolysis compound to chemically change and to form a compound originated from the photolysis compound in a distribution the same as the distribution of the photolysis compound, said distribution of the compound originated from the photolysis compound being capable of altering said optical property of the base material.

Claim 23

A process for producing an optical element comprising the steps of (a) impregnating a porous transparent base material having an optical property with a photo-decomposable compound to form an impregnated base material, (b) irradiating in at least one direction the impregnated base material with light rays to expose the photo-decomposable compound to quantities of light of decreasing intensity in the direction of the irradiating light rays, thereby decomposing the photo-decomposable compound to form a photolysis compound in a distribution decreasing in the direction of the irradiating light ray; (c) removing from the base material the non-decomposed photo-decomposable compound remaining after the irradiating with light rays step; and (d) heating the impregnated base material to cause the photolysis compound to chemically change and to form a compound originated from the photolysis compound in a distribution the same as the distribution of the photolysis compound, said distribution of the compound originated from the photolysis compound being capable of altering said optical property of the base material.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 21, wherein the base material is a porous glass.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 21, wherein the irradiating step is performed using parallel light rays.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 21, wherein the optical property is refractive index.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 24, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ta, La, Cs and Li.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 24, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is an organometallic compound.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 24, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Tl and Pb.

Claim 30

A process according to claim 27, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is a compound selected from the group consisting of Ti(C 5 H 5 ) 2 C1 2 , Ti(C 5 H 5 ) 2 (CH 3 ) 2 , (C 2 H 5 ) 3 PbCl, (C 6 H 5 )Tl(C 2 H 5 ), and mixtures thereof.

Claim 31

A process according to claim 21, wherein the optical property is the optical density.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 29, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is an organometallic compound.

Claim 33

A process according to claim 30, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Fe and Mn.

Claim 34

A process according to claim 31, wherein the photo-decomposable compound is a compound selected from the group consisting of Co 2 (CO), Fe(CO) 5 , Mn 2 (CO) 10 , and mixtures thereof.

Claim 35

A process according to claim 30, wherein the photo-decomposable compound comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Cr, V, Ni, Cu, Ag and As.

Claim 36

A process according to claim 21, wherein the impregnating step is performed by immersing the base material in a solution or dispersion of the photo-decomposable compound in a solvent.

Claim 37

A process according to claim 21, wherein the impregnating step is performed with the photo-decomposable compound in a vapor form.

Claim 38

A process according to claim 21, wherein the removing from the base material of the non-decomposed photo-decomposable compound remaining after the light irradiation is by using a solvent.

Claim 39

A process according to claim 36, further comprising (e) heating the porous base material to eliminate the pores.

Claim 40

A process according to claim 21, further comprising (e) heating the porous base material to eliminate the pores.

Claim 41

A process according to claim 21, wherein the irradiating step irradiates the material in at least two directions.

Claim 42

A process according to claim 39, wherein the two directions are opposite each other.

Claim 43

A process according to claim 21, wherein the irradiating step varies the radiation intensity across a surface of the base material.

Claim 44

A process according to claim 21, wherein the process is carried out in an inert atmosphere