A new crystal growth device, in which a high static external electric voltage (up to 14 kV) is added to a floating zone method, is described. Our first experiments show that the application of such an electric field acts like an external force, introducing a pressure effect which is in direct competition with temperature in the solid/liquid thermodynamic equilibrium. High electric fields could therefore be an additional parameter in crystal growth, opening original routes to the synthesis of new materials. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved