Fabrication and properties of Er/Tm/Pr tri-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramics

• Er/Tm/Pr:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 transparent ceramics were fabricated by conventional ceramics processing.
• The sensitization of 2.7 μm emitted light of Er3+ ion is realized by co-doping Tm3+ and Pr3+ ions into Er3+-doped transparent ceramic.
• The mechanism of the 2.7 μm emissions of Pr/Er/Tm:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 ceramics is explained by the energy sketch.
• Er/Tm/Pr:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 ceramics exhibit the potential as a good candidate for mid-infrared lasers.

Er/Tm/Pr tri-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramics were fabricated by conventional ceramics processing. Their microstructures and spectroscopic properties were investigated. The energy transfer mechanism between Tm3+, Pr3+ and Er3+ was also discussed. The Er/Tm/Pr:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 ceramics display a dense structure with no pores and uniform grains of about 40 μm. The results shows that population inversion between the 4I11/2 and 4I13/2 level of Er:(Y0.9La0.1)2O3 transparent ceramics is enhanced by co-doping Tm3+ and low amount of Pr3+ (0.5 at.%). When concentration of Pr3+ ions is high (2 at.%), 2.7 μm emission is restrained significantly due to the concentration quenching of Pr3+ ions. This Er/Tm/Pr tri-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide transparent ceramics can be considered as a promising material for mid-infrared lasers.