Crystal Growth Activity

The growth of novel and technologically important materials, especially in the form of single crystals, serves as the foundation stone for the scientific and technological developments of the human civilization. High-quality single crystals are an integral part of many new and existing technologies. Single crystals play a crucial role in this regard and are often required to achieve a material’s full functionality, as well as to completely describe its properties. Hence, over the years the growth and characterization of technologically important crystals have evolved as a thrust area in materials- science research.

There are different techniques employed for the growth of single crystals. Some of the important growth techniques are given below:


crystal growth tree



Several single crystals for laser-host, non-linear optical, ferroelectric and detector applications are grown using different growth techniques. Also crystal growth workstations with precision controls and high temperature stability have been designed and developed in-house. The grown crystals are characterised using characterization facilities available in the Division such as XRD, FTIR, DSC, TG-DTA, polarizing light microscope, optical interferometers, thermo-luminescence set up, hysteresis loop tracer, impedance analyzer etc. Several devices have been fabricated using the grown crystals.

Click individual topic for further information:

Non-linear optical crystals

Highlights:

  • Several non-linear optical crystals like Potassium di-hydrogen phosphate (KDP), Deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (DKDP), stochiometric and congruent lithium niobate (LN) and lithium tantalate (LT), Potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP), borates etc. are grown by solution and melt growth techniques.
  • These crystal are grown for harmonic generation of laser output, electro-optic modulation applications.
  • KDP crystal of size 116 x 92 x 116 mm3 weighing 2.6 kg has been grown.
  • Large diameter lithium niobate (dia. 70 mm) and lithium tantalate (dia. 50 mm) crystals have been grown.
  • Several innovations like Mercury Seal Technique (to process solution with immersed seed), Flat-top Technique (to increase usable volume), Nucleation-trap Crystallizer (to trap spurious nucleation) for the growth of good quality crystals have been conceptualized and implemented.
  • Several SHG elements and Electro-optic modulators have been fabricated and tested.


 
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