Single crystal growth of Eu2CuSi3 intermetallic compound by the floating-zone method

Abstract Large single crystals of the Eu 2 CuSi 3 intermetallic compound have been successfully grown by a vertical floating-zone method with optical heating. Differential thermal analysis reveals that Eu 2 CuSi 3 melts congruently at 1422 °C. The single crystals grown at velocities of 3–5 mm/h show a preferred growth direction close to crystallographic [1 0 0] orientation with inclination angles of about 16–20°. The suppression of evaporation of volatile elements and the control of the floating-zone temperature play a main role in the stability of the growth process. The crystals are Cu-depleted with respect to the nominal Eu 2 CuSi 3 stoichiometry. Both magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity measured on oriented single crystalline Eu 2 CuSi 3 samples reveal significant anisotropy with an easy magnetic c -axis and ferromagnetic ordering at T C =34 K.