Crystal growth, structural, crystalline perfection, optical and mechanical properties of Nd3+ doped sulfamic acid (SA) single crystals

Sulfamic acid (SA) single crystals, both pure and doped with 1, 2.5 and 5 mol% Nd, were grown successfully in an aqueous solution by the slow cooling method. Powder X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded to check the variation in the lattice parameters and phase of the crystals. The optical transparency was found to be hig Prod. Type: FTPhest (similar to 80%) for the 1 mol% Nd3+ doped SA single crystal. The optical band gap was also calculated and found to be similar to 4.31.4.20 and 3.67 eV. The influence of Nd3+ doping on the crystalline perfection was assessed by a high resolution X-ray diffractometer (HRXRD) and shows that the grown crystals could accommodate Nd3+ at the interstitial positions in the crystalline matrix of SA up to some critical concentration without any deterioration in the crystalline perfection. The etching studies were carried out and the etch pits densities were calculated. The mechanical property of grown single crystals was also studied. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.