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.

A refractory lining in a combustion chamber operating in a reducing atmosphere. The lining includes at least one or more Zirconia (Zr)-based refractory lining members comprising one or more Zr-based parts. The Zr-based parts comprise at least 90 wt. %, preferably at least 95 wt. %, of monoclinic ZrO.sub.2 and/or partially stabilized ZrO.sub.2 and/or fully stabilized ZrO.sub.2, wherein the total content of tetragonal and cubic ZrO.sub.2 amounts to at least 20 wt. %, preferably more than 35 wt. %, as well as Zr based refractory lining members and methods for manufacturing the Zr based refractory lining members.

A zirconia powder is provided comprising a yttria source and zirconia, wherein a content of the yttria source is 4.5 mol % or more and 6.5 mol % or less and the remainder is zirconia, a ratio of a total of tetragonal and cubic crystals to an entire crystal phase of zirconia is 90% or less, a BET specific surface area is 7.5 m.sup.2/g or more and 15 m.sup.2/g or less, and an average crystallite size is 325 Å or greater. The powders are useful in producing sintered bodies having the mechanical strength and the translucency desired for use in dental prosthetic materials, and precursors thereof.

A composite ceramic including: a lithium garnet major phase; and a grain growth inhibitor minor phase, as defined herein. Also disclosed is a method of making composite ceramic, pellets and tapes thereof, a solid electrolyte, and an electrochemical device including the solid electrolyte, as defined herein.

A diamond polycrystal includes diamond grains, the diamond polycrystal including a cubic diamond and a 6H type hexagonal diamond, wherein the cubic diamond and the 6H type hexagonal diamond exist in the same or different diamond grains, and a ratio Ab.sub.1/Ab.sub.2 is more than or equal to 0.4 and less than or equal to 1, Ab.sub.1 representing a maximum value of absorption in a range of more than or equal to 1200 cm.sup.−1 and less than or equal to 1300 cm.sup.−1 in an infrared absorption spectrum, Ab.sub.2 representing a maximum value of absorption in a range of more than or equal to 1900 cm.sup.−1 and less than or equal to 2100 cm.sup.−1.

A precursor structure is provided. The precursor structure has the following chemical formula: $\left({\mathrm{La}}_2{\mathrm{Zr}}_{2-x}{M}_x{O}_7\right).Math.\frac{1}{2}\left({\mathrm{La}}_{2-y}{M}_y^{\prime }{O}_3\right),$
wherein M is a trivalent ion or a pentavalent ion, M′ is a bivalent ion, x=0-1, y=0-1.5, and the precursor structure includes a pyrochlore phase. Since the pyrochlore phase may be transformed into the garnet phase through a lithiation process and the phase transition temperature is lower (e.g., 500-1000° C.), the precursor structure may be co-fired with the cathode material (e.g., lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO.sub.2)) to form a thin lamination structure. That is, the thickness of the solid electrolyte may be effectively reduced, thereby improving the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte ion battery.

A precursor structure is provided. The precursor structure has the following chemical formula: $\left({\mathrm{La}}_2{\mathrm{Zr}}_{2-x}{M}_x{O}_7\right).Math.\frac{1}{2}\left({\mathrm{La}}_{2-y}{M}_y^{\prime }{O}_3\right),$
wherein M is a trivalent ion or a pentavalent ion, M′ is a bivalent ion, x=0-1, y=0-1.5, and the precursor structure includes a pyrochlore phase. Since the pyrochlore phase may be transformed into the garnet phase through a lithiation process and the phase transition temperature is lower (e.g., 500-1000° C.), the precursor structure may be co-fired with the cathode material (e.g., lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO.sub.2)) to form a thin lamination structure. That is, the thickness of the solid electrolyte may be effectively reduced, thereby improving the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte ion battery.

A cutting tool including a substrate and a coating film disposed on the substrate, wherein the cutting tool includes: a rake face; a flank face contiguous to the rake face; and a cutting edge region composed of a boundary part between the rake face and the flank face, wherein the coating film includes a TiSiCN layer, the TiSiCN layer has: a first TiSiCN layer positioned in the rake face; and a second TiSiCN layer positioned in the cutting edge region, the first TiSiCN layer has a composition of Ti.sub.(1-Xr)Si.sub.XrCN, the second TiSiCN layer has a composition of Ti.sub.(1-Xe)Si.sub.XeCN, and the Xr and the Xe each represent 0.010 or more and 0.100 or less, and satisfy a relationship of Xe-Xr≥0.003.

A cubic boron nitride sintered material includes: 20 to 80 volume % of cBN grains; and 20 to 80 volume % of a binder phase, wherein the binder phase includes first binder grains and second binder grains, in each of the first binder grains, a ratio of the number of atoms of the first metal element to a total of the number of atoms of the titanium and the number of atoms of the first metal element is more than or equal to 0.01% and less than 10%, in each of the second binder grains, this ratio is more than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 80%, and in an X-ray diffraction spectrum of the cubic boron nitride sintered material, one or both of conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied.

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.