Synthesis of La3+ and Nd3+ co-doped yttria nanopowder for transparent ceramics by oxalate precipitation method

Polycrystalline Nd3+ and La3+ co-doped yttria nanopowder Nd3+:Y1.90La0.10O3 for transparent ceramics was synthesized by co- precipitation method using oxalate acid as the precipitant and (NH4)2SO4 as the electrical stabilizer under ultrasonic radiation. Nanopowders calcined at different temperatures were characterized with thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmitting electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) and spectral analysis techniques. The results indicated that nanopowders calcined at 1100 °C for 4 h were 40–70 nm in size with spherical morphology, the powder had the strongest emission peak centered at 1078 nm, corresponding to the transition of 4F3/2→4I11/2 of Nd3+ ion. The highest optical transmittance of the ceramics sintered at 1500 °C for 13 h was about 48% in near IR waveband, and the sintered ceramics had a broad absorption bandwidth of about 12.6 nm at the laser diode (LD) pump wavelength of 808 nm.