2. Experimental
Micron sized powders of Al2O3 and MgO (Inframat Advanced Materials, USA) were taken for the laser evaporation in stoichiometric ratio for the spinel MgAl2O4. Suspensions for each of the powder were prepared separately in isopropanol using an ultrasonic treatment. Then the suspensions were combined and stirred with a magnetic stirrer. Activator–Eu was introduced at the stage of mixing in the form of Eu2O3 powder (Irtysh Chemical Metallurgical Plant, Kazakhstan). The prepared slurry was additionally treated with dissolver at a speed of 500 rev/min during 5 h and then evaporated in a rotary evaporator. Three mixtures were prepared with different content of Eu: 1, 2 and 4 mol%. Targets for the laser evaporation were com- pacted from the mixed powders. Then the targets were sintered at 1000 °C for one hour in air. The fiber ytterbium laser of 1 kW with a wavelength of 1070 nm was used for the evaporation of the targets. The laser operated in pulsed mode at fre- quency 5 kHz, with pulse duration 160 ls and an average power of 560 W. The opti- cal system Optoskand d25 f60/200 provided the power density on the target surface