Laser oscillation and luminescence of Nd3+- and Eu3+-doped Lu2O3 transparent ceramics fabricated by spark plasma sintering

Abstract

Highly transparent Lu2O3 ceramics with and without Nd3+ and Eu3+ dopants were fabricated by spark plasma sintering using a two-step pressure profile. A transmittance at 1080nm for the Lu2O3 ceramics sintered by as-received powders at a pressure of 100MPa was 57%. By sintering ball-milled Lu2O3 powders with 0.2 mass% LiF at a preloading pressure of 10 MPa, final pressure of 100 MPa, heating rate of 0.17Ks-1, and sintering temperature of 1723 K, the transmittance at 1080nm of the Lu2O3 ceramics reached 8082% after annealing in air, i.e., nearly 100% of the theoretical value for no scattering. Finally, laser oscillation was demonstrated using 1 at.% Nd3+:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics at 1076 and 1080nm wavelengths, e.g., laser output of 0.2W and slope efficiency of 14% for straight-cavity configuration.