摘要：As a kind of promising material for a Faraday isolator used in the visible and near infrared range, Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> transparent ceramics were prepared by vacuum sintering from the nano-powders synthesized by the liquid precipitation method using ammonium hydrogen carbonate as precipitant with no sintering aids. The synthesized precursor was calcinated at 950 °C–1150 °C for 4 h in air. The influences of the calcination temperature on the morphologies and phase composition of Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> powders were characterized. It is found that the Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> powder calcinated at 1000 °C for 4 h is superior for the fabrication of Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> ceramics. The Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> transparent ceramic sample prepared by vacuum sintering at 1850 °C for 10 h, and subsequently with air annealing at 1400 °C for 10 h, from the 1000 °C-calcined Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> powders, presents the best optical quality. The values of in-line transmittance of the optimal ceramic specimen with the thickness of 1.0 mm are 75.3% at 2000 nm and 67.9% at 633 nm. The Verdet constant of Dy<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> ceramics was measured to be −325.3 ± 1.9 rad/(T·m) at 633 nm, about 2.4 times larger than that of TGG (Tb<sub>3</sub>Ga<sub>5</sub>O<sub>12</sub>) single crystals.
