There is an urgent need to enhance silica glass transparency for optical fibers. This study achieves this by hot compression above the melting point. Measurements of density, refractive index, Rayleigh scattering, and ring structures reveal two pressure-dependent trends. High-energy X-ray scattering links these to structural changes at ~4 Å (short-range) and ~8 Å (intermediate-range). Notably, optimal enhancement occurs at pressures as low as 0.8 GPa, far below the 4 GPa predicted by molecular dynamics simulations, making the process practical for high-transparency silica glass fiber production.
- Madoka Ono
- Yasuhito Tanabe
- Junji Nishii
