Laser floating zone growth of SrVO3 single crystals

Abstract

The perovskite SrVO3 is of interest for a variety of applications due to its simple metallic character and stability in reducing environments. Here we report the preparation of single-crystal SrVO3 using the laser floating zone technique. Laue diffraction implies single domains ∼30 mm in length. The stoichiometry of optimized crystals was found to be Sr0.985(7)VO2.91(4) using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and neutron powder diffraction analysis, with compositions adjustable with crystal pulling rate. Heat capacity measurements from T = 2–300 K show variations with composition, attributable to a combination of impurity scattering and changes in phonon dynamics. Our results demonstrate the utility of the laser floating zone technique in preparing a range of materials, and our advances with SrVO3 may help lead to applications including catalysis, transparent conducting oxides, thermionic emitters, and other electronic devices.