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Crystallographic and optical study of LiNb 1 − x Ta x O 3
Author(s) -
Huband S.,
Keeble D. S.,
Zhang N.,
Glazer A. M.,
Bartasyte A.,
Thomas P. A.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta crystallographica section b
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.604
H-Index - 33
ISSN - 2052-5206
DOI - 10.1107/s2052520617004711
Subject(s) - lithium tantalate , birefringence , tantalate , materials science , lithium niobate , lithium (medication) , vanadate , flux method , crystallography , atmospheric temperature range , curie temperature , diffraction , ferroelectricity , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , single crystal , condensed matter physics , chemistry , physics , thermodynamics , optoelectronics , medicine , ferromagnetism , dielectric , metallurgy , endocrinology , chromatography
Powders of lithium niobate‐tantalate across the full compositional range have been made and crystals grown using a lithium vanadate flux growth technique. The Li‐content of a lithium tantalate crystal has been determined using the zero‐birefringence temperature and Curie measurements, confirming the Li content is between that of congruent and stoichiometric crystals. X‐ray diffraction measurements show the Nb/Ta displacement and octahedral tilt both decrease as the Ta content is increased. This also results in a decrease in the lattice parameters from lithium niobate to lithium tantalate. Birefringence measurements on the crystals as a function of temperature have been used to determine the point that the crystals become zero‐birefringent, and by comparison with the structural studies have confirmed that it is not related to a phase transition and the structures remain polar through the zero‐birefringence points.