Fabrication of optically transparent Yb3+ : Lu2O3 -ceramics by spark plasma sintering

It is reported about the production of optical ceramics from lutetium oxide doped with ytterbium using spark plasma sintering. The starting material was Yb ³⁺ : Lu ₂ O ₃ nanopowder synthesized by laser ablation. Spark plasma sintering of nanoparticles at a temperature of 1450 ° C, a load of 15 kN with a holding time of 40 minutes provides a submicrocrystalline structure of ceramics with an average grain size of 0.2 ?m and a light transmittance of 75.6% at a wavelength .lambda; = 1080 nm, which is 5.8% less than the theoretical value.