Fabrication of Yb:Sc2O3 laser ceramics by vacuum sintering co-precipitated nano-powders

Ytterbium doped scandium oxide (Yb:Sc 2 O 3 ) nano-powders were synthesized by a co-precipitation method. Ammonium hydrogen carbonate (NH 4 HCO 3 ) and ammonia sulfate ((NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ) were used in the precipitation process as the precipitant and dispersing agent, respectively. Structural properties and morphology of the precursor and nano-powders were investigated by BET, XRD , and SEM measurements. Ultra-fine and low agglomerated 5 at%Yb:Sc 2 O 3 powders with the average particle size of 86 nm were obtained after calcination of the precipitate at 1100 °C for 5 h, that was found to be the optimal temperature for preparation of 5 at%Sc 2 O 3 powders for further sintering. 5 at%Yb:Sc 2 O 3 transparent ceramics with in-line transmittance of 73.9% at 1100 nm and average grain size of 182 μm were fabricated by vacuum sintering of the optimal powder at 1850 °C for 10 h. The microstructure, the spectroscopic properties and the gain characteristics of obtained 5 at%Yb:Sc 2 O 3 ceramics were also studied and discussed.