Crystal Growth and Characterization of Ca3NbGa3Si2O14 Single Crystal

Single crystals of Ca3NbGa3Si2O14 (CNGS) with ordered Ca3Ga2Ge4O14 (CGG) structure were successfully grown from stoichiometric melts by conventional Czochralski technique along the a-axis and two large (001) facets and two small (100) facets appear in every crystal. An arrangement of parallel steps and a clear height change were observed in (001) facet by atomic force microscopy (AFM). High-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) results indicate that CNGS crystals have good quality and free low-angle boundaries. The crystals also exhibit good optical quality and high optical transmittance in c-direction.