Yb3+:(LuxY1−x)2O3 mixed sesquioxide ceramics for laser applications. Part I: Fabrication, microstructure and spectroscopy

We report an in-depth investigation (fabrication, microstructure and spectroscopy) of Yb3+-doped mixed sesquioxide transparent ceramics (LuxY1−x)2O3 with x = 0, 0.113 and 0.232. The ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering of nano-sized particles synthesized by CO2 laser co-evaporation of the corresponding solid targets with different Y/Lu balance. The effect of Lu3+ concentration on crystal structure and phase evolution of the nanopowders and microstructure, optical and spectroscopic properties of the sintered ceramics was investigated. The micro-Raman measurements with high spatial resolution revealed a homogeneous distribution of both yttrium and lutetium in the mixed composition. The optical transmission of 1.4 mm-thick ceramics was over 80% in the wavelength range of 500–1100 nm. Partial substitution of Y3+ cations for Lu3+ cations determines a small shift toward longer wavelengths and broadening of the Yb3+ main emission peaks at about 1030 and 1076 nm. This is the first extensive characterization of the spectroscopic properties of Yb:(Y,Lu)2O3 compositional family in ceramic hosts.