Crystal growth of YVO4 using the LHPG technique

A laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) technique utilizing a 50 W CO 2 laser source was employed for the growth of YVO 4 . A growth method where only a small volume of the substance is melted was selected, since vanadium oxides vaporize readily at the melting point of YVO 4 (1810°C). The feed and seed rods were prepared from ceramics made from different Y 2 O 3 -V 2 O 5 compositions synthesized by both solid state and wet chemical methods. The congruent melting composition (CMC) was determined to be 49.3 mol% V 2 O 5 -50.7 mol% Y 2 O 3 . Two phases in addition to YVO 4 were observed and found to be Y 8 V 2 O 17 and a black crystalline YVO 4− x (0 x 2 O 3 -V 2 O 5 -V 2 O 3 ternary phase diagram. The occurrence of these phases can be minimized by reducing the length of the float zone and using ceramic rods rich in V 2 O 5 .