Transparent polycrystalline yttrium aluminum garnet (Y3Al5O12) with predominantly optical, mechanical and chemical properties is becoming a new generation of solid-state laser matrix material. The homogeneously dispersed, less agglomerated and superfine nanometer precursor powders are greatly favorable to fabricate highly transparent laser ceramics. The black powders were synthesized by the citrate-gel method combined with low temperature self-propagating combustion reaction using Y2O3, Al(NO3)3·9H2O and ci...