Ceramics with photonic and optical applications

There is a fast growing interest in new applications for advanced ceramic systems in the field of functional materials and in particular for optical materials. Ceramics are entitled to fulfil the gap between glasses and single crystals in the area of photonic materials. The processing versatility and unpaired resistance to high temperature corrosive environments of some ceramics make them good candidates for such applications. However, the critical dependence of the material optical properties on microstructure makes the deep understanding of the processing conditions even more necessary than before for the fabrication of well ordered, transparent, efficient optical ceramics. This review is directed towards ceramists interested in new applications. In the paper we address some fundamental aspects of the relationship between processing, microstructure and optical properties that are illustrated with some examples related with transparent ceramics, glass ceramics, luminescence, random lasers, thermo-emissive applications, scintillators and dielectric metamaterials

Cerámicas con aplicaciones ópticas y fotónicas

Open Access funded by Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio, under a Creative Commons license.[EN]: There is a fast growing interest in new applications for advanced ceramic systems in the field of functional materials and in particular for optical materials. Ceramics are entitled to fulfil the gap between glasses and single crystals in the area of photonic materials. The processing versatility and unpaired resistance to high temperature corrosive environments of some ceramics make them good candidates for such applications. However, the critical dependence of the material optical properties on microstructure makes the deep understanding of the processing conditions even more necessary than before for the fabrication of well ordered, transparent, efficient optical ceramics. This review is directed towards ceramists interested in new applications. In the paper we address some fundamental aspects of the relationship between processing, microstructure and optical properties that are illustrated with some examples related with transparent ceramics, glass ceramics, luminescence, random lasers, thermo-emissive applications, scintillators and dielectric metamaterials.[ES]: Existe un creciente interés en el desarrollo de nuevas aplicaciones basadas en cerámicas funcionales, en particular para aplicaciones como materiales ópticos. Los materiales cerámicos están destinados a cubrir el hueco entre los vidrios y los monocristales en el campo de los materiales fotónicos. La facilidad de procesado junto con su inigualable resistencia en medios corrosivos y de alta temperatura, hacen de las cerámicas buenos candidatos para ser utilizado en las aplicaciones ópticas. Sin embargo, las propiedades ópticas de un material, dependen muy fuertemente de su microestructura. Por ello la fabricación de cerámicas con microestructuras ordenadas, cerámicas transparentes y con eficientes propiedades ópticas requiere más que nunca, conocer profundamente las condiciones de procesado y de su influencia en la microestructura. Esta revisión está dirigida a ceramistas interesados en nuevas aplicaciones. En el artículo, tratamos brevemente algunos aspectos fundamentales de las relaciones entre procesado, microestructura y propiedades ópticas que hemos ilustrado con algunos ejemplos relacionados con las cerámicas transparentes, las vitrocerámicas, luminiscencia, láseres aleatorios, aplicaciones termoemisivas, centelleadores, y metamateriales dieléctricos.We want to thank MINECO (Spain) financing: MAT2012-30763 and MAT2013-41045-R programs.Peer Reviewe