Method for the chemical strengthening of glass

A method for strengthening a glass article, the method comprising:

• applying, onto a surface of the glass article that has first alkali metal ions therein, a source of second alkali metal ions that are larger than the first alkali metal ions;
• performing an ion exchange by penetrating the source of the second alkali metal ions and a surface of the glass article with electromagnetic radiation that includes:
• a narrowband frequency that is selected from a range of 23.8 GHz to 300 GHz;
• and
• a power density that creates an electrical field within the glass article that is strong enough to perform the ion exchange without heating the glass article to a temperature that is higher than a strain point of the glass article;
• and
• controlling the electromagnetic radiation so that the narrowband frequency is within a range of a resonant frequency of the first alkali metal ions and the second alkali metal ions in the glass network.