Optical Ceramics

Optical ceramics have solved recognized and important issues related to the fabrication of bulk single-crystals. In the last decade, these materials have been produced in large sizes with optical and mechanical performance exceeding that of single-crystals. In particular, combined with the ability to control doping profiles, transparent ceramics offer new potentials to design efficient and high-power lasers. In this talk, we will discuss specific aspects of the fabrication of transparent ceramics for solid-state laser and nuclear detector applications.