Fabrication, microstructure and spectral properties of Nd:SrF2 transparent ceramics with different concentration of La3+ ions

Abstract In this paper, Nd:SrF 2 transparent ceramics co-doped with different concentration (from 1 at.% to 5 at.%) of La 3+ ions were fabricated by hot-pressed sintering method. La 3+ ions as buffer ions were introduced in the Nd:SrF 2 nanopowders synthesized by co-precipitation method with the aim of modulating the spectral properties of Nd:SrF 2 transparent ceramics. Phase composition, morphologies of nanopowders were measured and spectra properties of the transparent ceramics were analyzed. It was found that the absorption and emission intensity were enhanced and the FWHM of the strongest emission peak located in 1056 nm reached to 28.62 nm after the doping of La 3+ ions. The broad bandwidth of Nd,La:SrF 2 transparent ceramics are favorable to achieve ultrashort pulse laser output.