TRANSLUCENT RARE EARTH-GALLIUM-GARNET SINTERED COMPACT, ITS PRODUCTION METHOD, AND OPTICAL DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a translucent rare earth-gallium-garnet sintered compact exhibiting satisfactory translucency in the range other than peculiar absorbed wavelengths in 600 to 1,500 nm by an industrially practical means, to provide an optical device, and to provide its production method. SOLUTION: This invention is a translucent rare earth-gallium-garnet sintered compact expressed by general formula of R3Ga5O12(R is at least one kind of rare earth element selected from the group consisting of Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu including Y), and, as a sintering auxiliary, using high purity rare earth oxide powder with a purity of ≥99.9% comprising at least one member of element selected from the group consisting of Ge, Sn, Sr and Ba by 5 to