<span style="font-size: 21.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Growth and characterization of Bi₁₂SiO₂₀ and Bi₁₂GeO₂₀ crystals </span>

Abstract

<span style="font-size: 15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">The photorefractive bismuth silicon oxide (Bi₁₂SiO₂₀) and bismuth germanium oxide (Bi₁₂SiO₂₀) crystals were synthesized and Czochralski growth performed in a resistive heating furnace having a vertical temperature gradient of 20°C/cm. Several crystals with <span style="font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:9.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""=""><100> <span style="font-size:15.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:8.0pt;font-family:" times="" new="" roman","serif""="">orientation were grown. The effect of rotation rate was studied from the fluid flow point of view and the growth parameters were optimised to yield crystals free from the central core and bubbles. The UV-VIS spectra revealed optical absorption edge and transmission in these crystals. The quality of the crystals was analysed by chemical etching studies. The Vickers microhardness studies were also carried out on the (100) plane of the SSO crystal.

</span></span></span>