Highly transparent ceramics with disordered crystal structure

A highly transparent ceramic has been synthesized from Nd³⁺:Y₂O₃ to which 6 mol. % ZrO₂ and 25 mol. % Sc₂O₃ or Lu₂O₃ were added for disordering the crystal structure. Nanopowders with an average particle size of 10-15 nm served as an initial material. They were compacted by the method of uniaxial static pressing combined with ultrasonic action on nanoparticles. The compacting pressure was 200 MPa; the power of the ultrasonic generator was 1.5 kW. It has been shown that the replacement of Y by isovalent Sc and Lu ions and by heterovalent Zr ions reduces the content of pores and the sizes of crystallites. The transparency of the Nd³⁺:Y₂O₃ ceramic with these additives reaches a maximum of 82.2%, and the 40% intensity level spectral band corresponding to the ⁴F_3/2 → ⁴I_11/2 transition widens from 11. 4 to 40 nm.