Photoelastic Effects in Phosphate Glasses

The stress-optical coefficients of RO-Pz05 glasses (R = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Zn) were measured, and the photoelasticity mechanisms were analyzed based on the equation expressing the relation among the photoelastic constants, the elastic moduli, and the refractive index of glasses. No simple relation was found between the stress-optical coefficient and the elastic modulus, indicating that the factor (p – q), where p and q are the Neumann strain-optical coefficients, is important. The change of (p – q) with glass composition is governed mainly by changes in the effect of the atoms, rather than the lattice. The atomic effect increases with decreasing radius of the divalent cation, except for Zn²⁺. The ZnO-containing glasses exhibit extraordinarily large atomic effects. The photo-elasticity mechanism is discussed in relation to the nature of the chemical bonds.