Pressureless glass crystallization of transparent yttrium aluminum garnet-based nanoceramics

Xiaoguang Ma,Auriane Etienne,Bingqian Ma,Chunlei Wan,Emmanuel Véron,Zhijian Peng,Xiaoyu Li,Cécile Genevois,Mathieu Allix,Jianqiang Li

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03467-7

Abstract

Transparent crystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG; Y3Al5O12) is a dominant host material used in phosphors, scintillators, and solid state lasers. However, YAG single crystals and transparent ceramics face several technological limitations including complex, time-consuming, and costly synthetic approaches. Here we report facile elaboration of transparent YAG-based ceramics by pressureless nano-crystallization of Y2O3–Al2O3 bulk glasses. The resulting ceramics present a nanostructuration composed of YAG nanocrystals (77 wt%) separated by small Al2O3 crystalline domains (23 wt%). The hardness of these YAG-Al2O3 nanoceramics is 10% higher than that of YAG single crystals. When doped by Ce3+, the YAG-Al2O3 ceramics show a 87.5% quantum efficiency. The combination of these mechanical and optical properties, coupled with their simple, economical, and innovative preparation method, could drive the development of technologically relevant materials with potential applications in wide optical fields such as scintillators, lenses, gem stones, and phosphor converters in high-power white-light LED and laser diode.

Highlights

Transparent crystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG; Y3Al5O12) is a dominant host material used in phosphors, scintillators, and solid state lasers
When doped by Ce3+, the YAG-Al2O3 nanoceramic synthesized at 1100 °C shows a 87.5% quantum efficiency, which is comparable with commercial YAG:Ce3+ fluorescent powders (75–90%)[35,36]
Transparent YAGAl2O3 ceramics were elaborated through full crystallization from a transparent yttria-alumina glass which composition deviates from stoichiometric YAG

Summary

Introduction

Transparent crystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG; Y3Al5O12) is a dominant host material used in phosphors, scintillators, and solid state lasers. YAG-Al2O3 biphasic nanoceramics were prepared by crystallization of the AY26 glass via a single thermal treatment of 2 h at temperatures ranging from 950 to 1100 °C.

Results

Conclusion