In this work, transparent ferroelectric ceramics of lanthanum modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT, with La/Zr/Ti=9/65/35), doped with rare-earth ions (RE = Nd3+, Er3+, Yb3+ Tm3+ and Ho3+), were processed by hot uniaxial pressing aiming the investigation of their potentiality as near-infrared laser active media. Their structural, microstructural, electric and spectroscopic characterizations were performed. For 1.0 wt.% RE2O3 doping, a strong influence of the rare-earth type was verified in the PLZT ferroelectric and optical characteristics. It was also observed that the Nd3+ substitution for Pb2+/La3+ reduces the ferro-paraelectric phase transition temperature and favors the transparency of the ceramic bodies. Spectroscopic analysis indicates that PLZT:Nd3+ is a potential diode-pumped laser active media in the near infrared region, and with some improvements, PLZT:Er3+ and PLZT:Tm3+ might also become so .
transparent ferroelectric ceramics; doped PLZT; rare-earth ions; spectroscopic properties; ceramic lasers
