Fabrication of transparent ytterbium-doped yttrium oxide laser ceramics

• Main Author: Koh, Jun Jie
• Other Authors: Tang Dingyuan
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering; DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Ceramic materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67700
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Transparent ceramics is a wonderful solid state material that does not only retain its properties of traditional ceramics but also have optical transparency, as its naming suggests. Unlike traditional ceramics, transparent ceramics are much tougher and harder, more capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions and yet still having the ability of being transparent. This project aims to educate the author about transparent ceramics, the fabrication process and the characterization of laser ceramics. The objective of this project is to provide the author with the opportunity to learn the fabrication process to achieve high optical quality transparent laser ceramics. The author will be collaborating with research students and research fellows in the lab and learn the various procedures on the production of Yb: Y2O3 laser ceramics. This project consists of the synthesis of high purity nano-sized ceramic powders, green body preparation and high temperature sintering. The author will also be introduced to some basic skills on characterization of the laser ceramics to differentiate and evaluate the quality of the produced samples.