Fabrication of transparent dysprosium aluminum garnet (Dy₃Al₅O₁₂) ceramics via a solid-state reaction method

Polycrystalline, transparent Dy₃Al₅O₁₂ ceramics were firstly fabricated by a solid-state reaction method using high-purity Dy₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ powders. The fully dense Dy₃Al₅O₁₂ ceramic with an average grain size of less than 10 μm was obtained by vacuum sintering at 1820°C for 6 h. The in-line transmittance of the optimized sample reaches 80% in the visible region. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that no secondary phases and almost no pores are observed at grain boundaries or triple junctions, and the fracture mode of the ceramic is mainly transgranular. The Dy₃Al₅O₁₂ ceramic is promising for magneto-optical applications. Verdet constant of the Dy₃Al₅O₁₂ transparent ceramic is as high as -0.41 min·(Oe·cm)^-1.