A garnet-type ion-conducting oxide configured to inhibit lithium carbonate formation on the surface of crystal particles thereof, and a method for producing an oxide electrolyte sintered body using the garnet-type ion-conducting oxide. The garnet-type ion-conducting oxide represented by a general formula (Li.sub.x-3y-z, E.sub.y, H.sub.z)L.sub.αM.sub.βO.sub.γ (where E is at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga, Fe and Si; L is at least one kind of element selected from an alkaline-earth metal and a lanthanoid element: M is at least one kind of element selected from a transition element which be six-coordinated with oxygen and typical elements in groups 12 to 15 of the periodic table; 3≤x−3y−z≤; 0≤y≤0.22; C≤z≤2.8; 2.5≤α≤3.5; 1.5≤≈≤2.5; and 11≤γ≤13), wherein a half-width of a diffraction peak which has a highest intensity and which is observed at a diffraction angle (2θ) in a range of from 29° to 32° as a result of X-ray diffraction measurement using CuKα radiation, is 0.164° or less.

A sintered body of the present invention contains yttrium oxyfluoride. The yttrium oxyfluoride is preferably YOF and/or Y.sub.5O.sub.4F.sub.7. The sintered body of the present invention preferably contains 50% by mass or more of yttrium oxyfluoride. The sintered body of the present invention has a relative density of preferably 70% or more and an open porosity of preferably 10% or less. Furthermore, the sintered body of the present invention has a three-point bending strength of preferably 10 MPa or more and 300 MPa or less.

A method of manufacturing a conversion element is disclosed. A precursor material is selected from one or more of lutetium, aluminum and a rare-earth element. The precursor material is mixed with a binder and a solvent to obtain a slurry. A green body is formed from the slurry and the green body is sintered to obtain the conversion element. The sintering is performed at a temperature of more than 1720° C.

A dielectric ceramic composition having good characteristic even under high electric field intensity, and particularly good IR characteristic and high temperature accelerated lifetime. The present invention is a dielectric ceramic composition comprising, a main component comprising a perovskite type compound shown by a compositional formula (Ba1-x-ySrxCay)m(Ti1-zZrz)O3, a first sub component comprising oxides of a rare earth element, a second sub component as a sintering agent, wherein said dielectric ceramic composition is a complete solid solution particle wherein the rare earth element is solid dissolved to entire dielectric particle, or a core-shell particle having high ratio of the diffusion phase, and comprises the dielectric particle having 5 to 20 atom % of the average concentration of the rare earth element in the diffusion phase, and having uniform concentration distribution of the rare earth element in the diffusion phase.

The present invention provides a piezoelectric material not containing lead and potassium, having a high relative density, a high Curie temperature, and a high mechanical quality factor, and exhibiting good piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric material contains 0.04 percent by mole or more and 2.00 percent by mole or less of Cu relative to 1 mol of metal oxide represented by General formula (1) below.
((Na.sub.1-zLi.sub.z).sub.xBa.sub.1-y)(Nb.sub.yTi.sub.1-y)O.sub.3 (in Formula, 0.70≦x≦0.99, 0.75≦y≦0.99, and 0<z<0.15, and x<y)  General formula (1)

A strongly scattering optoceramic converter material having a density of less than 97% is provided, as well as a method for producing such an optoceramic material. By appropriately choosing in particular the composition, blending method, and sintering conditions, the production method permits to produce converter materials with tailored properties.

A ceramic waveguide includes: a doped metal oxide ceramic core layer; and at least one cladding layer comprising the metal oxide surrounding the core layer, such that the core layer includes an erbium dopant and at least one rare earth metal dopant being: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, or oxides thereof, or at least one non-rare earth metal dopant comprising zirconium or oxides thereof. Also included is a quantum memory including: at least one doped polycrystalline ceramic optical device with the ceramic waveguide and a method of fabricating the ceramic waveguide.

The present disclosure relates to a precursor solution for the preparation of a ceramic of the BZT-αBXT type, where X is selected from Ca, Sn, Mn, and Nb, and α is a molar fraction selected in the range between 0.10 and 0.90, said solution comprising: 1) at least one barium precursor compound; 2) a precursor compound selected from the group consisting of at least one calcium compound, at least one tin compound, at least one manganese compound, and at least one niobium compound; 3) at least one anhydrous precursor compound of zirconium; 4) at least one anhydrous precursor compound of titanium; 5) a solvent selected from the group consisting of a polyol and mixtures of a polyol and a secondary solvent selected from the group consisting of alcohols, carboxylic acids, ketones, and mixtures thereof; and 6) a chelating agent, as well as method of using the same.

To provide a dense beta-alumina-based sintered compact having a high ionic conductivity as a solid electrolyte by firing at a low temperature to suppress the volatilization of Na.sub.2O and its production method. By adding RNbO.sub.3 which is a material having a low melting point to a beta-alumina powder, followed by firing, it is possible to obtain a beta-alumina-based sintered compact having a low firing temperature and containing, as the main component, dense β″ alumina crystals which are free from anomalous grain growth during the firing process.

An electrocaloric effect element includes a laminate including an electrode layer mainly including Pt and a ceramic layer that are stacked, in which the ceramic layer has a perovskite structure and mainly includes a ceramic including Pb, Sc, and Ta, where a content ratio of Sc is y, a content ratio of Ta is 1−y, and a range of the y is about 0.450≤y≤about 0.495.