Sintering of Yb3+:Y2O3 transparent ceramics in hydrogen atmosphere

✍ Scribed by Jian Zhang; Liqiong An; Min Liu; Shunzo Shimai; Shiwei Wang

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 773 KB
• Volume: 29
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0955-2219
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2008.03.006

✦ Synopsis

Highly transparent Yb 3+ :Y 2 O 3 ceramics with doping concentration up to 40.0 at.% had been fabricated successfully via hydrogen atmosphere sintering, where the raw powders were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The sintering temperature is about 600 • C lower than its melting temperature. SEM investigation revealed the average grain size of Yb 3+ :Y 2 O 3 ceramics sintered at 1850 • C for 9 h was about 7 m. The highest transmittance of as-prepared 1 mm thickness samples around wavelength of 1050 nm reached 80%, which is close to the theoretical value of Y 2 O 3 . The optical spectroscopic properties of Yb 3+ :Y 2 O 3 transparent ceramics have also been investigated, which shows that it is a very good laser material for diode laser pumping and short pulse mode-locked laser.