The progress towards the transparent ceramics fabrication

We discuss major factors responsible for obtaining transparent Nd3+:YAG ceramic, a prospective material for laser applications. The relationship between the properties of starting nanopowders and the transmittance of specimens sintered at the different "ramp-soak" conditions was established by means of spectroscopic, structural, and electronic microscopy studies. It was found, that sample's transmittance (in some cases) depends on the duration of the holding time at the sintering stage. This result is promising for obtaining laser quality materials. It also contributes to basic understanding of the processes underlying fabrication of transparent laser ceramic.

[1]  M. Pham-thi,et al.  Transparent polycrystalline neodymium doped YAG: synthesis parameters, laser efficiency , 2003 .

[2]  Ken-ichi Ueda,et al.  Promising ceramic laser material: Highly transparent Nd3+:Lu2O3 ceramic , 2002 .

[3]  M. Kuklja.  Defects in yttrium aluminium perovskite and garnet crystals: atomistic study , 2000 .

[4]  Richard L. Gentilman,et al.  Recent advances in onshore produced ceramic laser gain materials , 2006, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[5]  Yu. A. Barnakov,et al.  Simple route to Nd:YAG transparent ceramics , 2006, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[6]  S. Gierlotka,et al.  High-Pressure Induced Structural Decomposition of RE-Doped YAG Nanoceramics , 2005 .

[7]  Akio Ikesue,et al.  Fabrication and Optical Properties of High‐Performance Polycrystalline Nd:YAG Ceramics for Solid‐State Lasers. , 1995 .

[8]  Gary L. Messing,et al.  Solid‐State Reactive Sintering of Transparent Polycrystalline Nd:YAG Ceramics , 2006 .

[9]  David A. Muller,et al.  Correlation of annealing effects on local electronic structure and macroscopic electrical properties for HfO2 deposited by atomic layer deposition , 2003 .

[10]  K. Hirota,et al.  Novel synthesis of Y3Al5O12 (YAG) leading to transparent ceramics , 2001 .

[11]  Ken-ichi Ueda,et al.  Neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12) nanocrystalline ceramics—a new generation of solid state laser and optical materials , 2002 .

[12]  H. Yagi,et al.  Development of Nd:YAG ceramic lasers , 2002 .