Characterizations of REE:Tb₂O₃ Magneto‐Optical Ceramics

Abstract

The magneto‐optical ceramics of terbium oxide doped with different rare earth elements (REE) REE:Tb 2 O 3 (REE—Y 3+ , Lu 3+ , Sc 3+ , Ce 3+ , Dy 3+ , Ho 3+ , Yb 3+ , Nd 3+ ) are successfully fabricated by hot pressing using powders obtained by the self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis (SHS) method. The prepared REE:Tb 2 O 3 ceramics have good optical quality and magneto‐optical properties. The in‐line transmittance of Tb 2 O 3 ceramics doped with REE except Sc 3+ is close to undoped terbium oxide, especially in the long‐wavelength region. The Verdet constant of the REE:Tb 2 O 3 samples considered at 633 nm is about 3.3 and 2.6 times higher in absolute value than that of the commercial terbium–gallium garnet (TGG) single crystal and terbium–aluminum garnet (TAG) ceramics, respectively. It is noted that REE (except Yb 3+ and Nd 3+ ) doping only slightly increases the Verdet constant of pure Tb 2 O 3 (when the content of terbium ions in the optical element is taken into consideration in the calculation). The dilution of the Tb 2 O 3 matrix with REE in relatively high concentrations leads to a decrease in the absolute value of the Verdet constant.