Synthesis of Tb2O3 nanoparticles by laser ablation in Ar gas flow

Abstract

In this paper, we report on the synthesis of terbium sesquioxide (Tb2O3) nanopowder by laser ablation of a solid target material in Ar gas flow using an ytterbium fiber laser with an average power of 300 W. The as-synthesized nanoparticles featured spherical morphology, an average size of 13 nm and a substantially monoclinic crystal structure, whose symmetry was converted into cubic by heat treatment at 850°C under vacuum. Pressureless densification of powder compact at 1450°C yields 95.6 % of the relative density indicating excellent sinterability of the produced nanoparticles. XPS analysis was used to estimate the ratio between O and Tb concentrations as [O] / [Tb] =1.51, which is close to the Tb2O3 stoichiometry indicating a very low content of detrimental Tb4+ ions. The obtained results suggest that laser ablation in Ar gas flow is a promising technique for synthesizing Tb2O3 nanoparticles suitable for further fabrication of advanced magnetooptical ceramics.