Yb:Sc2O3 Transparent Ceramics Fabricated from Co-precipitated Nano-powders: Microstructure and Optical Property

doi:10.15541/jim20240322

Abstract

Abstract:

Sc₂O₃, as a host for solid-state laser gain materials, has advantage of high thermal conductivity and easy matching with activating ions, which is promising in high-power laser applications. Currently, Yb-doped Sc₂O₃ ceramics have been fabricated at very high sintering temperatures, but their optical quality and sintering process still need further improvement. In this work, 5%Yb:Sc₂O₃ (in mass) nano-powders were obtained by co-precipitation, and then transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum pre-sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) post-treatment. The cubic Yb:Sc₂O₃ nano-powders with good dispersity and an average crystallite of 29 nm were obtained. Influence of pre-sintering temperatures (1500-1700 ℃) on densification process, microstructure changes, and optical transmittance of Yb:Sc₂O₃ ceramics was detected. Experimental data revealed that all samples have a uniform microstructure, while the average grain sizes increase with the increase of the sintering temperatures. Impressively, the optimum in-line transmittance of Yb:Sc₂O₃ ceramics, pre-sintered at 1550 ℃ after HIP post-treatment, reaches 78.1% (theoretical value of 80%) at 1100 nm. Spectroscopic properties of the Yb:Sc₂O₃ ceramics reveal that the minimum population inversion parameter β₂ and the luminescence decay time of 5%Yb:Sc₂O₃ ceramics are 0.041 and 0.49 ms, respectively, which demonstrate that the optical quality of the Yb:Sc₂O₃ has been improved. Meanwhile, their best vacuum sintering temperature can be controlled down to a lower temperature (1550 ℃). In conclusion, Yb:Sc₂O₃ nano-powders are successfully synthesized by co-precipitation method, and good optical quality transparent ceramics are fabricated by vacuum pre-sintering at 1550 ℃and HIP post-treatment.

Key words: nano-powder, Yb:Sc₂O₃, transparent ceramic, hot isostatic pressing, optical property

CLC Number:

TQ174

YE Junhao, ZHOU Zhenzhen, HU Chen, WANG Yanbin, JING Yanqiu, LI Tingsong, CHENG Ziqiu, WU Junlin, IVANOV Maxim, HRENIAK Dariusz, LI Jiang. Yb:Sc₂O₃ Transparent Ceramics Fabricated from Co-precipitated Nano-powders: Microstructure and Optical Property[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2025, 40(2): 215-224.

Figures/Tables 12

Fig. 1 TG-DTG curves of the precursor

Fig. 2 XRD patterns of the precursor and the powders calcined at 1100 ℃ for 4 h

Fig. 3 FESEM micrographs of (a) the precursor and (b) the powders

Table 1 Analysis of particle size and agglomeration degree of 5%Yb:Sc2O3 nano-powders

Sample	S_BET/(m²·g^-1)	D_BET/nm	D_SEM/nm	D_XRD/nm	N₁
5%Yb:Sc₂O₃ nano-powders	25	58	43	29	6

Fig. 4 FESEM micrographs of thermally etched surfaces of the 5%Yb:Sc2O3 ceramics pre-sintered at different temperatures (a) 1500 ℃; (b) 1550 ℃; (c) 1600 ℃; (d) 1650 ℃; (e) 1700 ℃

Fig. 5 Average grain sizes and relative densities of 5%Yb:Sc2O3 ceramics with different pre-sintering temperatures

Fig. 6 FESEM micrographs of thermally etched surfaces of the synthesized 5%Yb:Sc2O3 ceramics Ceramics pre-sintered at (a) 1500, (b) 1550, (c) 1600, (d) 1650, and (e) 1700 ℃ before HIP post-treatment at 1700 ℃

Fig. 7 Average grain sizes and relative densities of 5%Yb:Sc2O3 ceramics sintered by vacuum pre-sintering and HIP post-treatment

Fig. 8 Photograph (a) and in-line transmittance (b) of the 5%Yb:Sc2O3 ceramics

Fig. 9 Absorption and emission cross-sections of the 5%Yb:Sc2O3 transparent ceramics pre-sintered at 1550 ℃ with HIP post-treatment Colorful figure is available on website

Fig. 10 Gain cross-section of the 5%Yb:Sc2O3 transparent ceramics pre-sintered at 1550 ℃ with HIP post-treatment

Fig. 11 Room temperature 2F5/2 luminescence decay of 5%Yb:Sc2O3 transparent ceramics excited by 980 nm laser and detected at 1041 nm wavelength

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Yb:Sc₂O₃ Transparent Ceramics Fabricated from Co-precipitated Nano-powders: Microstructure and Optical Property

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