FABRICATION OF TRANSPARENT Nd:YAG BY HIGH PRESSURE SPARK PLASMA SINTERING (HPSPS)

Maxim Sokol Sergey Kalabukhov Vladimir Kasiyan Moshe P. Dariel Nachum Frage
Department of Material Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Negev

High pressure spark plasma sintering (HPSPS) was employed to fabricate polycrystalline Nd:YAG specimens with desired functional properties. Specimens fabricated under a uniaxial pressure of 300 MPa at 1300°C at a heating rate of 50 °C/min and holding time of 60 min displayed sub-micron microstructure and elevated mechanical properties, including resistance to thermal shock. Optical properties (i.e. spectral transmittance, fluorescence emission spectra and fluorescence lifetime) of the HPSPS-processed specimens were close to those obtained with specimens fabricated by conventional sintering procedure. Remarkable differences in threshold power and laser slope efficiency were found and attributed to the variance in Nd concentration in the specimens tested. The results of the present study indicate that the low cost and time-saving HPSPS process can be used for the fabrication of polycrystalline Nd:YAG specimens with the combination of the optical and mechanical properties suitable for laser applications.

Keywords: Nd:YAG, HPSPS, Laser, Mechanical properties, Optical properties.









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