Rapid, Micron-Resolution 3D Printing of Nd:YAG Ceramic with Optical Gain

Luyang Liu, Wenbo Wang, Shuai Feng, Siying Liu, Haofan Sun, Qiong Nian, Sui Yang, Xiangfan Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polycrystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) ceramic doped with neodymium (Nd), referred to as Nd:YAG, is widely used in solid-state lasers. However, conventional powder metallurgy methods suffer from expenses, time consumption, and limitations in customizing structures. This study introduces a novel approach for creating Nd:YAG ceramics with 3D free-form structures from micron (∼70 µm) to centimeter scales. Firstly, sol-gel synthesis is employed to form photocurable colloidal solutions. Subsequently, by utilizing a home-built micro-continuous liquid interface printing process, precursors are printed into 3D poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels containing yttrium, aluminum, and neodymium hydroxides, with a resolution of 5.8 µm pixel−1 at a speed of 10 µm s−1. After the hydrogels undergo thermal dehydration, debinding, and sintering, polycrystalline Nd:YAG ceramics featuring distinguishable grains are successfully produced. By optimizing the concentrations of the sintering aids (tetraethyl orthosilicate) and neodymium trichloride (NdCl3), the resultant samples exhibit satisfactory photoluminescence, emitting light concentrated at 1064 nm when stimulated by a 532 nm laser. Additionally, Nd:YAG ceramics with various 3D geometries (e.g., cone, spiral, and angled pillar) are printed and characterized, which demonstrates the potential for applications, such as laser and amplifier fibers, couplers, and splitters in optical circuits, as well as gain metamaterials or metasurfaces.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2403130
JournalSmall
Volume20
Issue number36
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 5 2024
Externally publishedYes

Funding

This work was supported by Arizona State University (ASU) startup funding, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Future Manufacturing (FM) Award (CMMI 2229279), NSF (CMMI\u20101932899), NSF (CMMI\u20101762792), and the NSF (2227650) and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (41920). The authors acknowledged the use of facilities in the Eyring Materials Center at Arizona State University.

Keywords

  • infrared emission
  • micron-resolution 3D printing
  • neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet
  • optical gain
  • photoluminescence

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