Highly transparent Yb-doped (LaxY1 − x)2O3 ceramics prepared through colloidal methods of nanoparticles compaction

To produce Yb-doped yttrium lanthanum oxide (Yb3+:(LaxY1 − x)2O3) thin disc ceramics from laser synthesized nanopowders, two colloidal methods were used: slip casting and electrophoretic deposition. Sintering of the compacts in vacuum (3 × 10−4 Pa at 1625 °C for 12 h) led to high transparency of the ceramics. Ceramic discs with relative densities higher than 99.99% and grain sizes of about 25 μm were fabricated. The in-line transmittance of 0.5 mm thick Yb0.17La0.19Y1.64O3 ceramics amounted to 80.5% at 1150 nm wavelength. The materials obtained promise to be good gain media for ytterbium high power pulse disc lasers.