Enhanced optical properties of translucent YVO₄ ceramic fabricated by spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) via texture-controlled microstructure

Achieving an (001) orientation-aligned structure in the YVO₄ green bodies by colloidal processing with a strong magnetic field can enhance the optical properties of translucent YVO₄ ceramics fabricated by a spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) technique. YVO₄ green bodies with orientation along the (001) direction are successfully attained from a well-dispersed and highly stable YVO₄ slurry containing 15 vol% YVO₄ nanopowders prepared at 1 wt% of dispersant under a pH > 9. By designing the (001) texture of YVO₄ with aligning the slip casting direction parallel to the magnetic field <i>B</i> during the slip casting, the YVO₄ SPSed at a temperature of <i>T</i> = 1300 °C gained much higher transmittance than that of non-textured random YVO₄, indicating that controlling the microstructure by colloidal processing with a strong magnetic field is an effective approach to improving the optical properties of YVO₄ ceramics.