Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 laser ceramics: Influence of the size of yttrium oxide particles on sintering

The influence of the size of Y2O3 powder particles on the structure formation and densification of Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 laser ceramics has been studied. It is shown that the use of 50- and 100-nm yttrium oxide particles makes it possible to synthesize single-phase yttrium aluminum garnet at temperatures of 1200 and 1500°C, respectively, whereas in the case of 5000-nm yttrium oxide particles 2-h exposure at a temperature of 1500°C yields only 80 wt % of the Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 phase. Bulk swelling of pressed samples during sintering of 2.94Y2O3-0.06Nd2O3-5Al2O3 powders with the size ratio of the initial particles R(Al2O3/Y2O3) ∼ 5 is observed. The application of different-sized powders (R ∼ 2.5) provides quantitative ratios between phases in the 3Y2O3-5Al2O3 system at which shrinkage in a temperature range of 20–1500°C is dominant. Laser ceramics 0–2 at % Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 have been obtained by the solid-phase sintering of oxide powders (R ∼ 2.5). The slope efficiency for 1 at % Nd3+:Y3Al5O12 laser ceramics is found to be 33%.