Journal of Crystal Growth, Vol.293, No.2, 398-403, 2006
Growth of cubic KTa1-xNbxO3 crystal by Czochralski method
Cubic KTa1-xNbxO3 (KTN) single crystals with different compositions have been grown by the Czochralski technique in a KTaO3-KNbO3 solid-solution system. The growth habit, morphological features, and other basic properties of the KTN crystal are discussed. The composition of the crystals was measured by electron probe microanalysis. The Nb composition of the crystals is x(Nb) = 0.14, 0.19 and 0.33, corresponding to three different raw materials ratios: Ta2O5:Nb2O5 (mol) = 0.65:0.35, 0.55:0.45 and 0.35:0.65, respectively. The corresponding segregation coefficients are alpha(Nb) = 0.400 0.402, and 0.508, respectively. X-ray diffraction results show that the crystals belong to the cubic phase, with lattice parameters a = 4.00289, 4.00251 and 3.99279 angstrom, corresponding to compositions x(Nb) = 0.14, 0.19, 0.33, respectively. The transmittance spectra of the crystals show that they have a broad transparent wavelength range from 385 to 3200 nm, except for an absorption band near 2865 nm. The electro-optical coefficient of the crystals was measured by using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords:solid solutions;crystal growth;Czochralski method;potassium tantalite niobate (KTa1-xNbxO3;KTN)