Efficiency degradation of laser ceramics caused by inappropriate dispersants and sintering aids

• Main Authors: Ni, Meng, Yin, Danlei, Wang, Jun, Ma, Jie, Dong, Zhili, Tang, Dingyuan
• Other Authors: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering; Co-Precipitation; Laser Ceramics
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154370
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Lasing quality 8 at.% Yb:Lu2O3 laser ceramics were fabricated using nanocrystalline Yb:Lu2O3 powders synthesized with a modified coprecipitation method and either (NH4)2SO4 or PAA (Poly acrylic acid) as a dispersant. Although using (NH4)2SO4 as a dispersant the calcinated Yb:Lu2O3 powders could have better sinterability, and the sintered Yb:Lu2O3 ceramics could even have higher in-line transmittance, it was found that the laser ceramics always had much lower lasing efficiency than those fabricated with PAA as a dispersant. We show that the efficiency degradation of the laser ceramics is due to the photodarkening caused by using (NH4)2SO4 as a dispersant.