PROPERTIES OF ELECTROOPTIC (PB, LA)(ZR, TI)O3 CERAMICS FABRICATED BY PARTIAL COPRECIPITATION METHOD

Electrooptic ceramics of (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 were fabricated by a combination of the partial-coprecipitation and doctor-blade methods. The PLZT powder, with particles of submicron size that were excellently dispersed, was prepared by (Zr, Ti)O2 solid-solution powder and PbO and La2O3 oxide powders. The large-scale PLZT ceramics with the dimension of 10 x 10 - 20 cm and thickness of 1.5 mm were molded by the doctor-blade method and then conventionally sintered at 1200 - 1250-degrees-C for 20 - 60 h under the controlled condition of PbO and oxygen atmosphere. The fabricated PLZT ceramics with 0.5 mm thickness showed the transmittance of 65 - 67% in the range of wavelength greater than 600 nm, and the quadratic electrooptical coefficient of 4.5 x 10(-16) O2/V2.