CZOCHRALSKI GROWTH OF YB3-FLUOROAPATITE( AND PR3+ DOPED CA)

Pure, Pr3+, and Yb3+ doped Ca-fluoroapatite (Ca-FAP) crystals were gro wn by the Czochralski method. The effective distribution coefficient k (eff) for Yb3+ was 0.5. For Pr3+ a very high k(eff) of 1.4 was obtaine d. Values for k(eff) are discussed in terms of an elastic model accoun ting for the strain energy originating from the difference in the size of Ln(3+) ions. The Ln(3+) concentrations were measured by absorbance spectroscopy, by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectros copy, and by electron microprobe analyses.