Ln-M-O glasses obtained by rapid quenching using a laser beam

A rapid quenching apparatus employing a laser beam was developed to obtain the glassy state of oxides which have high melting temperatures. Using this apparatus, the glassy state in Ln-Ti-O, Ln-Nb-O and Ln-Ta-O (Ln=lanthanides) systems was investigated. The range of compositions which produced glasses and the crystallization process were studied in detail, and the metastable phases, which appear during the crystallization process, were examined by differential thermal and X-ray diffraction analysis.