Highly transparent ytterbium doped yttrium lanthanum oxide ceramics

To prepare ytterbium doped lanthania yttria nanopowder a method of laser evaporation of mixed oxides was used. After calcinations of the powder at 1200 °C a pure single-phase solid solution Yb3+:(LaxY1−x)2O3 was formed in the nanoparticles. Influence of lanthanum oxide as an isovalent additive on the yttria structure was investigated. The lanthanium ions were proved to be a good aid to sinter yttria ceramics doped with Yb3+ at moderate temperatures about 1650 °C. The ceramics with relative density higher than 99.99% and grain size about 40 μm were fabricated. Full transmittance of 1.8 mm thick Yb0.11La0.23Y1.66O3 ceramics reached 82.5% at 800 nm. This material could be a good gain medium for ytterbium high power pulse lasers.