Pr9.33(SiO4)6O2 Crystals: Czochralski Growth and Near UV-Visible FR Performance

Abstract

Pr 9.33 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 crystals have been grown by the Cz-method for the first time for near UV-visible Faraday rotation applications. Rietveld refinement of XRD data demonstrates that the compound crystallizes in the oxyapatite structure with space group P6 3 /m, with oxyapatite structure. In contrast to Tb 3 Ga 5 O 12 , Pr 9.33 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 crystal shows a higher transparency in the UV-visible wavelength region, and a shorter cutoff at 270 nm. The Faraday rotation performance and the temperature-dependence of the field-cooled (FC) and zero-field-cooled (ZFC) magnetic susceptibility have been investigated, which indicate that the Pr 9.33 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 crystal exhibits paramagnetic behavior in the experimental temperature range from 2 to 300 K and yields a larger FR angle which rapidly increases towards the cutoff. Pr 9.33 (SiO 4 ) 6 O 2 crystal is therefore a promising magneto-optical crystal in particular for potential FR applications in the near UV-visible spectral region.