The global market for Transparent Ceramics is projected to reach US$849.9 million by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 16.4%, over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. Transparent ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic solid materials, which allow desired wavelengths to be transmitted through them. Derived from silica based via a crystalline process, the crystalline and glassy transparent ceramics find use as optically transparent materials in varied forms including coatings, thin films and fibers. They are increasingly emerging as substitutes to conventional glass technologies as well as single crystal technologies in applications such as infrared domes, lasers, armors, optical fibers and high energy radiation detection. Transparent ceramics can be broadly categorized into - monocrystalline transparent ceramics and polycrystalline transparent ceramics. Monocrystalline transparent ceramics refer to single crystal ceramics, which exhibit properties such as homogeneity, uniformity and high doping concentration. Due to its excellent melt growth feature, monocrystalline transparent ceramics overcomes all vulnerabilities pertaining to formation of voids in internal structure during the ceramic making process, thus offering a uniform crystal look with improved transparency. Coupled with additional mechanical stability and transparency, monocrystalline transparent ceramics act as alternative to conventional glass. On the other hand, polycrystalline transparent ceramics are opaque matter with the ability to absorb or scatter visible light.

The ceramics' mechanical and optical attributes are controlled by numerous microstructural features including porosity, grain size and presence of second phases. For polycrystalline ceramics to attain transparency, it is vital to create microstructure comprising minimal fraction of scattering centers. Polycrystalline transparent ceramics, due to their mechanical and optical properties find use in laser and armor applications. Some of the applications of transparent ceramics include high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting, semiconductor processing, transparent armor, jewelry and design, inspection window, wear-resistant windows, ballistic vehicle protection, among others. With increased use of transparent ceramics in wide range of applications, including night vision devices (NVD), transparent armor windows, nose cones, and cutting and laser tools, the popularity of transparent ceramics has been on the rise. The infrared (IR) transparent materials strike a balance in between mechanical strength and optical performance. For instance, though sapphire exhibits strength, there is lack of transparency during the entire 3 to 5 micrometer mid IR range. Similarly, though Yttria exhibits transparency from 3 to 5 micrometers, it lacks sufficient thermal shock resistance, hardness, and strength during higher-performing aerospace applications. However, the combination of these materials that is available as yttria-alumina garnet (YAG) has been ranked as the top performing material.

Among the attractive application areas is the exciting world of LiDAR. In Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), transparent ceramics are increasingly replacing single crystals for the laser media due to several benefits offered, the chief being easy fabrication of composite structures with different doping content. A growing market for LiDAR supported by expanding applications in aerial surveying, GIS services, corridor mapping, environment, engineering, ADAS & driverless cars, therefore bodes well for transparent ceramics. Several companies have been launching their own commercial autonomous ride hailing services in the recent years. During the COVID-19 crisis, the potential role of self-driving vehicles has strengthened owing to the reasons such as delivering essentials to people at home quarantines. Advancements in technology, particularly improvement in LiDAR (Light Imaging, Detection and Ranging) systems, are essential for making self-driving vehicles a common reality. The integrated system LiDAR is used to measure the distance at which a target is located by illuminating it with laser light. The data from the LiDAR system is used in building a 3D model of the vehicle surroundings. LiDAR is considered to be an essential part of sensor suite in autonomous vehicles. In addition to self-driving vehicles, various other latest applications such as robotics, security, high-resolution mapping, laser guidance, physics, astronomy, conservation and biology use LiDAR systems. Laser light source is the important component of a LiDAR system. It is essential to use high powered mid-infrared lasers to develop high-performance LiDAR systems. The unique advantages of transparent ceramics such as homogenous and heavy doping of rare earth ions, easy fabrication of huge components, and fabricating composite structures with various doping contents make them preferable over crystal materials. Researchers have identified that the transparent ceramic fabrication method using co precipitation of iron-doped zinc selenide (Fe:ZnSe) is an alternative for preparing Fe:ZnSe mid-infrared materials. In order to improve the output efficiency, post-sintering process and purification of synthesized powders are done.