AFO Research Inc. (AFO) is a high technology research and development company specializing in the development of next generation optical materials. AFO was found based on the long-term vision of company founder and well-respected scientist, Dr. Alfred Margaryan and co-founders, Jack Illare and Ashot Margaryan. They noticed technological advancements in optics were heavily dependent upon new and improved materials that could perform under extraordinary conditions. For years, silica-based glasses were the choice for many major industries. However, its physical characteristics and limitations forced industries and scientists to explore new glass compositions and processing techniques to evolve with the ever-increasing number of applications. The emergence of these “specialty glasses” in the last few years have significantly changed several large industries, including telecommunications, electronics, and biomedical. This is where AFO saw its opportunity to introduce its next-generation specialty glass.