Synthesis of nanosized Nd:YAG powders via gel combustion

Nanosized Nd:YAG powders with different doping concentrations were synthesized at a significantly low temperature by a gel combustion method with citric acid as fuel and nitrate as oxidizer. It is found that the precursor is composed of hydroxycarbonate and dehydrates at below 500 °C to form carbonate. Mono-phase Nd:YAG crystallites can be formed without any intermediate phase at 850 °C. The value of crystallite size of the 850 °C calcined 1.0 at% Nd:YAG powder is 59 nm and the average particle size is 86 nm. The doping of neodymium into YAG garnets increases the lattice constant and the fluorescent intensity decreases drastically when the neodymium concentration is higher than 3 at% because of the fluorescent quenching effect.