Fabrication and optical properties of YSAG:Cr optical ceramics

YSAG:Cr3+ optical ceramics with compositions Y2.8Sc1.2Cr0.005Al3.995O12, and Y2,88Cr0,005Sc0.2Al4,915O12 were fabricated for the first time. The linear transmittances of the ceramic samples exceeded 80% in the visible and IR regions. It was observed that as the concentration of scandium in YSAG:Cr3+ solid solutions increased, the refractive index of ceramics at a wavelength of 632.8 nm increased from 1.828 +/- 0.005 to 1.857 +/- 0.005. The effect of scandium cations on the spectral-luminescent properties of Cr3+ cations in the crystal lattice of yttrium-scandium-aluminum garnet was also investigated. It was demonstrated that as the scandium content in dodecahedral site increased from 4 to 50 at%, the effective lifetime of excited states of Cr3+ cations increased from 1.71 ms to 2.72 ms. On the contrary, as scandium content in octahedral site increased, the effective lifetime of excited states of Cr3+ cations decreased from 1.71 ms to 0.71 ms.