U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Self-Organization in Oxide Glasses

University Of Cincinnati Main Campus, Cincinnati OH

Investigators

Abstract

0138707 Boolchand This three-year award for US-France collaboration in materials research involves researchers and students at the University of Cincinnati and at the University Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI) and the High-T Laboratory in Orleans of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Punit Boolchand in the US and Richard Kerner in France lead this team of theorists and experimentalists. The research addresses structural studies of oxide glasses. The objective is to develop models to predict thermal and structural properties. Alkali silicate glasses will be prepared; their thermal and spectroscopic properties compared and contrasted; and constraint and stochastic agglomeration theories applied to the experimental results. The US investigators bring to this collaboration expertise in synthesis of glasses and spectroscopy and constraint theory. This is complemented by French theoretical expertise in modeling glass structure and access to high temperature glass preparation facilities in Orleans. This award represents the US side of parallel proposals to the NSF and the CNRS. NSF will cover travel funds and living expenses for the US investigators and graduate students. CNRS will support visits by French researchers and graduate students to the United States. The research will advance understanding of the thermal and structural properties of oxide glasses and their commercial applications as silica fibers for optical communications and for silicon microelectronic device fabrication. The project will advance doctoral thesis research of US and French graduate students, who will actively participate in the synthesis, characterization of oxide glasses, and analysis of experimental results.