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Exploration of mid-infrared laser materials with broad emission spectra is crucial for the generation of ultrashort pulses, particularly in spectroscopic and material processing applications. The incorporation of La3+ ions into Er:Y2O3, a representative mid-infrared laser material, induces crystal lattice distortion and broadens its emission spectrum. However, the La3+ doping concentration is typically limited to approximately 10 at.% owing to the formation of secondary phases. In this study, transparent (Er0.05Y0.95-xLax)2O3 mixed sesquioxide ceramics with high La3+ concentration of x = 0.2 was fabricated together with x = 0, 0.05, and 0.1 via co-precipitation and low temperature spark plasma sintering (SPS) to investigate the effects of La3+ concentration on mid-infrared emission properties. Both the emission spectral width and luminescence lifetime at approximately 2700 nm increased with increasing La3+ concentration. For x = 0.2, the values were approximately 17 nm and 3.8 ms, respectively, compared to approximately 4 nm and 3.3 ms for x = 0. Although the x = 0.2 sample achieved an in-line transmittance above 80% at 2720 nm, it was still lower than those of samples with lower La3+ content. Microstructural analysis revealed that La3+ addition reduced the average grain size and formed residual pores, likely responsible for increased optical scattering. To eliminate the residual pores, post-hot isostatic pressing (HIP) treatment was conducted at various temperatures, which resulted in improved optical transmittance. We believe that optimizing processing conditions could further enhance optical quality at high La3+ concentrations, making it promising candidates for mid-infrared laser applications.

Rights:

• Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 International
  

Keyword: co-precipitation, laser materials, mid-infrared, spark plasma sintering, transparent ceramics

Date published: 2026-07-21

Publisher: Wiley

Journal:

• Journal of the American Ceramic Society (ISSN: 00027820) vol. 109 issue. 7 e71031

Funding:

• JST JPMJFR203S

Manuscript type: Publisher's version (Version of record)

MDR DOI:

First published URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.71031

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Updated at: 2026-07-22 10:09:18 +0900

Published on MDR: 2026-07-23 18:30:06 +0900