Structural and spectroscopic properties of MgAl2O4:Nd3+ transparent ceramics fabricated by using two-step Spark Plasma Sintering

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 722; pp. 358 - 364
• Main Authors: Boulesteix, R., Maître, A., Lemański, K., Dereń, P.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 25.10.2017; Elsevier BV; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ceramics; Chemical Sciences; Crystal defects; Crystal structure; Engineering Sciences; Magnesium aluminate; Material chemistry; Materials; Neodymium; Optical properties; Plasma sintering; Single crystals; Spark plasma sintering; Spectroscopy; Spinel; SPS; Transparent ceramics; Spectroscopy; Transparent ceramics; Neodymium; Spinel; SPS
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2017.06.101

Neodymium-doped magnesium aluminate spinel Nd3+:MgAl2O4 transparent ceramics were successfully elaborated with significant Nd content (i.e. up to 0.2 at.%) by using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Microstructural, structural, and optical properties of the obtained samples were compared to those of undoped transparent spinel ceramics. The transparency is of about 70% in the visible region for undoped samples and of about 50% for neodymium-doped samples with a significant shift of the cut-off wavelength in UV region to higher values. Spectroscopic measurements have evidenced the formation of charge-compensating structural defects owing to Mg2+ substitution by Nd3+ in the spinel crystalline lattice. Nd3+ ions were incorporated up to 0.2 at.% in spinel crystalline lattice, largely higher than that possible in MgAl2O4 single-crystals. SPS thus appears as an appropriate technique to manufacture transparent materials with out-of-equilibrium structure and composition. •Nd3+:MgAl2O4 transparent ceramics were prepared by using Spark Plasma Sintering.•Incorporation of much above to equilibrium concentrations of Nd3+ ions was achieved.•Findings have great promise for the design of spinel-based light producing devices.