Growth and characterization of aliovalent ion-doped LiCaAlF6 single crystals

Two-inch size LiCaAlF6 (LiCAF) single-crystals doped with Mg2+ and Ba2+ were successfully grown by the Czochralski technique. Optical absorption measurements in the UV/VIS spectral regions following X-ray irradiation (radiation-induced absorption) were performed in order to investigate the radiation damage of the crystals. It is found that the amplitude of the F-absorption band is suppressed more than a factor of 3 by Mg doping, while in the case of Ba-doped LiCAF, no significant variation is observed. For Mg-doped crystals, the optimum doping concentration is about 0.2 mol% of Mg2+. The crystallinity was studied using X-ray rocking curve analysis. The precise measurement of the refractive index showed that refractive index of LiCAF dose not change by the Mg2+ doping, within the doping range of Mg2+ <1.0 mol%. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.