Fabrication, optical properties and laser outputs of Nd:YAG ceramics based on laser ablated and pre-calcined powders

Transparent Nd:YAG ceramic was fabricated by the solid-state reaction method with an additional round of pre-calcining using nanopowders of 1 at.% Nd:Y2O3 and Al2O3 synthesized by laser ablation. The pre-calcining step and addition of tetraethyl orthosilicate was found crucial for fabricating high optical quality Nd:YAG ceramic from such nanoparticles. The transmittance of the obtained 2-mm-thick Nd:YAG ceramic was 83.6% at the wavelength of 1064 nm, which is very close to the theoretical value. The uniformity of the optical quality of ceramic was mapped by analyzing the point-by-point transmission of a focused laser beam. The average volume of the scattering centers in the obtained ceramic was evaluated by direct count method to be 17 ppm. The Nd distribution was determined by fluorescence imaging to be homogeneous throughout the sample. Output power of 4.9 W with a slope efficiency of 52.7% was obtained in 1.5-mm-thick Nd:YAG ceramic under a quasi-continuous wave (QCW) laser diode end pumping at 805 nm.