Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.103, No.10, 5808-5812, 2020
Er3+-doped CaF(2)polycrystalline ceramic with perfect transparency for mid-infrared laser
Er3+-doped CaF(2)transparent ceramics are promising mid-infrared gain materials because of their utra-low phonon energy as well as excellent physical, chemical, and optical properties. However, existing hot-pressed and hot-formed CaF(2)ceramics are very difficult to be used in practical applications due to residual pores and weak polycrystallization, respectively. Here, we developed the high quality Er3+-doped CaF(2)transparent polycrystalline ceramic by single crystal ceramization. The sample exhibits obvious polycrystalline structure, good mechanical properties, perfectly transmittance, and excellent mid-infrared performance, which provides significant and wide-ranging opportunities for advanced mid-infrared gain materials.