A high efficiency, high power diode-side-pumped quasi continuous wave （QCW） Nd：YAG ceramic rod laser at 1064 nm based on the domestic transparent ceramic is reported. The average output power of 961 W is achieved with double ceramic rods by means of a symmetrical convex-convex cavity. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is 38.3% and the slope efficiency is 45.3%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest level of efficiency achieved for the domestic Nd：YAG ceramic rod laser.
A novel yttrium citrate-templated conversion method for morphology controlled synthesis of Y2O3 microspheres, microflowers and microsheets was reported for the first time. The precursors with controllable morphologies were synthesized with a homogenous precipitation method in aqueous solution without any surfactant. Y2O3 samples with well-preserved morphological architectures were obtained by a subse-quent thermal transformation strategy. The chemical formula of the precursor was identified and a two-stage growth mechanism was proposed. The effects of the aging time, reaction temperature, reactant concentration and molar ratio of yttrium nitrate to sodium citrate were discussed. The photoluminescence properties of the Y2O3：Eu3＋ microspheres, microflowers and microsheets prepared were also studied.
Rare earth borogermanates as a group of stable compounds provided various potential properties important for modern sciences. Among the properties of interests, luminescence was manifested due to the variability of rare earth elements and the compounds constituted an important group of potential candidate. In this work, novel phosphors of Eu3＋, Tb3＋ or Tm3＋ doped LaBGeO5 with the stillwellite type structure were synthesized by the solid state reaction method. Their X-ray and UV excitation luminescent properties showed that LaBGeO5 was an excellent host lattice for the luminescence of Eu3＋, Tb3＋ and Tm3＋. The LaBGeO5：Eu3＋, LaBGeO5：Tb3＋ and LaBGeO5：Tm3＋ presented bright red, green and blue emission light for both UV and X-ray excitation.
