Floating Zone Growth of Bulk Single Crystals of Complex Oxides
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Floating Zone Growth of Bulk Single Crystals of Complex Oxides Prasenjit Guptasarma 1 , Mark S. Williamsen and Shishir K. Ray Dept of Physics, 1900 E Kenwood Blvd, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA ABSTRACT In this MRS Proceedings paper, we present a review of the floating zone growth process, and describe growth techniques as relevant to four selected families of current or continued interest in the area of condensed matter physics of highly correlated electron systems: Cuprate oxides (Bi2 Sr2 CaCu2 Oy ), Ruthenate oxides (Sr2 RuO 4 ), Manganite oxides (La1-x Srx MnO3 , La22x Sr1+2x Mn2 O7 , (RE)MnO 3 (RE=Rare Earth)) and Ferrite oxides (BiFeO 3 ). We also discuss our experiences with factors that tend to contribute to poor crystal growth, as relevant to experiments to probe correlated-electron physics in such crystals. INTRODUCTION Single crystals grown from a floating zone are generally known to be of high-quality – indeed, for most oxides, they have the highest homogeneity, purity and size when compared with crystals grown using other techniques. In the area of condensed matter physics, varia nts of the floating zone technique ha ve been used for many years to grow crystals of intermetallic systems, in which heating and melting is achieved using conducting properties of the metal, such as when using an induction furnace or an electron-beam system. Following the series of discoveries of interesting correlated electron phenomena in complex “multi- nary” ceramic oxides such as cuprates, manganites, ruthenates, titanates and ferrites, there has been an increased interest among materials scientists within the condensed matter community in studying single crystals of these systems. With ceramic oxide materials, which are relatively poor electrical conductors, the techniques and methods of growth differ from those used with intermetallics. In most cases, melting is achieved using focused optics – for example, using lasers or focused images of infrared lamps. In addition, many oxide materials of interest to us have three or more elements – this implies association with increasingly complex chemical phase diagrams and possible multiple phases in the high temperature liquid from which the crystal is to be grown. The availability of oxide crystals grown from a floating zone has helped accelerate progress in areas such as unconventional superconductivity in cuprates [2] and Colossal magneto-resistivity in manganites – areas where sample quality had at one point become a limiting factor in the endeavor to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of the phenomena in question. In spite of this, expertise with the floating- zone technique has not become as
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widespread as with other single-crystal growth techniques such as molecular beam epitaxy, laser ablation, sputtering, or Czochralski. In this Materials Research Society Proceedings, we wish to describe some of the advantages of the floating zone growth process which have led the way to significant progress in experiments. We provide a simplifi
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