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Transparent 4 at.% Tm:Y3ScAl4O12 (Tm:YSAG) laser ceramics were fabricated by solid‐state reaction combined with vacuum sintering method. The 4 at.% Tm:YSAG ceramic sample sintered at 1800°C for 30 hours possesses homogenous microstructure and excellent optical properties, showing a transmittance of 79.3% at 2000 nm. The absorption and emission spectra of the Tm:YSAG ceramics are studied and compared with those of 4 at.% Tm:Y3Al5O12 ceramics. The introduction of Sc3+ greatly affects the energy levels of the Tm3+, causing the disappearance and degeneration of some absorption and emission peaks in the middle infrared region. The laser performance of the 4 at.% Tm:YSAG ceramics is also tested in the Quasi‐continuous‐wave (QCW) mode by pumping with a 790 nm laser diode (LD). A maximum laser output power of 0.54 W with a slope efficiency of 4.8% is achieved, which is the first laser output for Tm:YSAG ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent Yb:Y3ScAl4O12 (Yb:YSAG) ceramics with different ytterbium doping concentrations such as 5, 10, 15, 20 at.% have been successfully fabricated by solid‐state reactive sintering. All the obtained ceramics are in dense and homogeneous structure after sintering at 1820°C for 30 hours and with a posttreatment by hot isostatic pressing at 1750°C for 3 hours with 200 MPa pressure. We systematically analyzed the influence of Yb3+ doping concentration on the microstructure and optical properties of the ceramics. The 10 at.% Yb:Y3ScAl4O12 ceramics with a thickness of 3.2 mm show the best transparency as high as 80.9% at 1100 nm. The laser emission of the 10 at.% Yb:YSAG ceramics was tested, resulting in a maximum slope efficiency of 67.6% and a maximum output power of 11.3 W under quasi‐continuous wave pump conditions. The tuning range spanned from 990 to 1071 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, 5 at.% Yb:Lu2O3 transparent ceramics were fabricated by vacuum sintering combined with hot isostatic pressing (HIP) posttreatment using co‐precipitated nano‐powders. The influence of precipitant molar ratio, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, to metal ions (AHC/M3+, R value) on the properties of Yb:Lu2O3 precursors and calcined powders was investigated systematically. It was found that the powders with different R value calcined at 1100°C for 4 hours were pure cubic Lu2O3 but the morphologies of precursors and powders behaved differently. The opaque samples pre‐sintered at 1500°C for 2 hours grew into transparent ceramics after HIP posttreatment at 1750°C for 1 hour. The final ceramic with R = 4.8 showed the best optical quality with the in‐line transmittance of 79.7% at 1100 nm. The quasi‐CW laser operation was performed at 1034 nm and 1080 nm with a maximum output power up to 8.15 W as well as a corresponding slope efficiency of 58.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]