Method of producing transparent ceramics

A method of producing an optoceramic material, said method comprising the step of manufacturing a molded body from a powder mixture of starting materials, wherein said starting materials include an effective amount of at least one sintering aid that improves optical properties of said optoceramic material produced by the method;

• wherein said at least one sintering aid is selected from the group consisting of SiO2, TiO2, ZrO2, HfO2, Al2O3 and fluorides;
• and
• wherein the optoceramic material produced by said method comprises at least 99% by weight of crystals with a cubic crystal structure analogous to that of pyrochiore or fluorite and with a stoichiometry of A2+xByDzE7, wherein −1.15≦X≦+1.1, 0≦Y≦3, 0≦Z≦1.6 and 3X+4Y+5Z=8;
• wherein A is at least one trivalent rare earth cation, B is at least one tetravalent cation, D is at least one pentavalent cation and E is at least one divalent anion;
• wherein the optoceramic material produced by the method has an average grain size in a range from 5 to 300 μm and is very densely sintered;
• and
• wherein a sample of the optoceramic material that has a thickness of 5 mm has an internal transmittance that is at least 50% at a wavelength of 400 nm and at least 60% at a wavelength of 600 nm.