Morphologic characterization of Dy_xY_1-xAl_3(BO_3)_4 single crystals grown from the flux and vapour phase

摘要

Dy_xY_1-xAl_3(BO_3)_4 single crystals with different Dy concentrations from x=0.001 to 0.1 have been grown from fluxed melts based on K_2Mo_3O_10-B_2O_3 mixtures, in the temperature range from 1070 deg C to 900 deg C. Platelets of Dy:YAB have been obtained by evaporation from the melt that clearly showed both growth sectors and striations. Bulk crystal has been grown from the melt by spontaneous crystallization with good optical quality. Differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction have been used to study the behaviour of the initial mixed oxides, the growth conditions and the grown crystals. X-ray topography has been used to analyse the growth defects, the structure of the growth sectors and striations in the platelets.