Highly transparent ZrO2-doped (Ce,Gd)3Al3Ga2O12 ceramics prepared via oxygen sintering

Gd-3(Al,Ga)(5)O-12 (GAGG) ceramic is a promising scintillation matrix due to its favorable chemical and physical properties. However, difficulties in the preparation of highly transparent ceramics limit its applications in scintillation detectors. In present work, highly transparent GAGG-based ceramics were prepared via solid state reaction and oxygen sintering method. Ceramics with transmittance of up to 73% at around 560 nm were obtained. This transmittance value is very close to the value of 76% for the equivalent single crystal. Effects of ZrO2 concentration on the microstructure and optical properties of GAGG-based transparent ceramics were intensively studied. It is found that the addition of ZrO2 can effectively prohibit grain growth while promoting the removal of residual pores. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.