Composition dependence of the ultraviolet absorption edge in lithium tantalate

Comprehensive preparations of lithium tantalate crystals with compositions ranging from the congruent to stoichiometric ones have been carried out. Vapor transport equilibration treatments were used to determine the composition of the samples with an absolute accuracy of 0.05 mol %. This absolute determination of the composition can serve as the basis for convenient relative methods where an easily measurable physical property allows a simple determination of the composition. As an example, we present a study of the fundamental absorption edge in the near-ultraviolet region.