Synthesis of Optical Nd:(Y,Gd)2O3 Ceramics and Investigation of Its Spectroscopic Characteristics

• Published in: Russian physics journal Vol. 64; no. 11; pp. 2052 - 2057
• Main Authors: Osipov, V. V., Shitov, V. A., Vasin, D. A., Spirina, A. V., Makarova, A. S., Orlov, A. N., Maksimov, R. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.03.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ceramics; Condensed Matter Physics; Gadolinium; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Laser ablation; Lasers; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Nanoparticles; Neodymium; Nuclear Physics; Optical Devices; Optics; Photoluminescence; Photonics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Sesquioxides; Solid solutions; Theoretical; Vacuum sintering; Yttrium; Yttrium oxide; luminescence spectrum; nanopowder; gadolinium oxide; neodymium; optical ceramics
• ISSN: 1064-8887; 1573-9228
• DOI: 10.1007/s11182-022-02554-z

Fabrication of optical ceramics based on solid solution of yttrium and gadolinium sesquioxides activated by Nd 3+ ions is considered. Nanopowder of (Nd 0.008 Y 0.496 Gd 0.496 ) 2 O 3 synthesized by laser ablation method was used as raw material. It was determined that laser-ablated nanoparticles initially have monoclinic phase, transformation of which into cubic phase starts at a temperature of 1100 °C and is fully completed at 1300°C. It was found that the best transparency of samples (79.9% at the wavelength of 1060 nm) and the lowest content of scattering centers of 2.7 ppm are reached by vacuum sintering of nanopowder previously calcined at 1000°C for 3 h. In the measured photoluminescence spectrum, a blue-shift of Nd 3+ emission bands in (Y,Gd) 2 O 3 matrix with respect to Y 2 O 3 was observed. Broadening of emission bands and their partial overlap was determined suggesting the change in the local environment of neodymium embedded into positions of yttrium and gadolinium.