SYNTHETIC QUARTZ WITH HIGH ULTRAVIOLET TRANSMISSION

Quartz has been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions at rates of 1.78 mm/day in the presence of LiNO2 in Ag lined and Ag plated systems, and it is shown that such quartz has optical transmission between 1500 Å and 3 ɛequal, and in some cases superior to, natural quartz. The uv cutoff at about 1500 Å has been shown to be associated with Fe whose concentration may be reduced by procedures that reduce the concentration of charge compensating H+ in the lattice (growth in LiNO2) and by procedures which reduce the concentration of Fe in solutions (inert conditions). Transmission near 3 ɛ is affected by OH which can be reduced by LiNO2. © 1968 Optical Society of America.