Co:MgAl2O4 Ceramic Saturable Absorbers Fabricated by Pressure Slip Casting and HIPing

Transparent cobalt-doped spinel ceramics 0.02 – 0.1 at. % Co: MgAl
2
O
4
were fabricated by Hot Isostatic Pressing using green bodies formed by pressure slip casting. Their microstructure, optical and spectroscopic properties were studied. For the 0.02 at.% Co-doped ceramic, the saturation fluence at 1535 nm is 0.36 J/cm
²
and the laser induced damage threshold is about 4 J/cm
²
.