Czochralski growth of Tb3Sc2Al3O12 single crystal for Faraday rotator

Tb3Sc2Al3O12 single crystals with the garnet-type structure and having <111> orientation were grown by the Czochralski method. This material shows good characteristics as Faraday rotator. The distribution of cations in Tb3Sc2Al3O12 single crystals is discussed together with the dependence of the lattice constant on the solidification fraction. The crystal shows good transparency in the region from 395 to 1500 nm. The absorption band around 486 nm, corresponding to the F-7(6) --> D-5(4) transition line of Tb3+ ions was observed. The crystallinity was studied using XRC analysis, Measured Verdet constant of the Czochralski grown crystal was as high as that reported for Tb3Al5O12, which could not be grown by the Czochralski method. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.