Optical and other material properties of SiO2 from ab initio studies

The optical properties of photonic devices largely depend on the dielectric properties of the underlying materials. We apply modern ab initio methods to study crystalline SiO2 phases, which serve as toy models for amorphous glass. We discuss the dielectric response from the infrared to the VIS/UV, which is crucial for glass based photonic applications. Low density silica, like cristobalite, may provide a good basis for high transmission optical devices.