Erbium-Doped Lu(2)O(3)-MgO and Sc(2)O(3)-MgO IR-Transparent Composite Ceramics

Novel IR-transparent ceramics of erbium-doped Lu(2)O(3)-MgO and Sc(2)O(3)-MgO composites have been successfully obtained using a combination of glycine–nitrate self-propagating high-temperature synthesis and vacuum hot-pressing methods. Composites have densities greater than 99.5% of those calculated by X-ray diffraction and consist of uniformly distributed submicron grains of magnesium and rare earth oxides. The transmittances of 1.5 mm thick composites are as high as 84.5% and 78.9% at ~5 µm for Er:Lu(2)O(3)-MgO and Er:Sc(2)O(3)-MgO, respectively. Both composites are favorable matrices for doping with erbium ions, which exhibit intense luminescence in the visible, near, and mid-IR under relevant excitation. The position of the luminescence bands is similar to Er:Lu(2)O(3) and Er:Sc(2)O(3) ceramics; the lifetimes of the (4)I(13/2) state are 8.85 ± 0.1 ms and 5.7 ± 0.2 ms for 3%Er:Lu(2)O(3)-MgO and 3%Er:Sc(2)O(3)-MgO, respectively.