1. Introduction
Since the discovery of the piezoelectric effect by Pierre and Jacques Curie in 1900, researchers have progressively developed a variety of crystalline materials that exhibit valuable piezoelectric properties, thereby expanding their range of applications. Key areas of use for piezoelectric crystals in contemporary technology include ultrasonic devices, sensors, actuators, energy-harvesting systems, and vibration management solutions [1]. Moreover, as scientific and technological advancements continue, the demand for effective and diverse piezoelectric materials is growing.
The langasite family of crystals are multifunctional materials with the general formula A3BC3D2O14, where A is a dodecahedral site, B is a octahedral site, and C and D are tetrahedral sites [2]. The crystals are generally divided into two categories: structurally disordered and ordered crystals. The structurally disordered crystals, which include La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS), La3Ga5.5Nb0.5O14 (LGN) [3], and La3Ga5.5Ta0.5O14 (LGT) [4], are distinguished by variations in ion placement at different locations within the crystal lattice. In contrast, the structurally ordered crystals comprise Ca3TaGa3Si2O14 (CTGS) [5], Ca3NbGa3Si2O14 (CNGS) [6], Sr3TaGa3Si2O14 (STGS) [7], and Sr3NbGa3Si2O14 (SNGS) [8].
Among the langasite family of crystals, LGS crystals have been extensively studied because they exhibit exceptional piezoelectric, electro-optical, and nonlinear optical characteristics [9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18]. The structure of La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS) exhibits disorder, with the large La3+ cations occupying the A sites, while Ga3+ cations occupy the B, C, and a portion of the D sites and Si4+ occupies the remaining D sites. The LGS crystal was first investigated in 1982 [19]; then, Kaminskii et al. first reported on the laser performance of the (La1−xNdx)3Ga5SiO14 (Nd:LGS) crystal, which was subsequently utilized in the optical field as a laser gain medium in 1983 [20,21]. By 1986, E.G. Bronnikova et al. had reported the fabrication of high-stability BAW monolithic filters and resonators using single LGS crystals. Due to their high piezoelectric coefficient, high electromechanical coupling factor, and relatively large usable temperature range, LGS crystals have been extensively employed in bulk acoustic wave (BAW) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) applications over the years [22,23,24].
While considerable research has focused on the piezoelectric properties of these crystals, investigations into doped crystals remain limited. Rare-earth functional crystal materials play a pivotal role in the advancement of high-tech applications. Among the various doping elements, Tb3+ ions have attracted significant attention from researchers due to their broad visible emission spectrum, ranging from red to green. Given the unique characteristics of the crystal structure, and considering that Tb3+ and La3+ possess the same valence state and similar ionic radii, the ion substitution method, which leverages the advantages of Tb3+ in conjunction with LGS, is employed to modulate the properties of these materials.
In this study, we demonstrate the successful growth of a 10% Tb3+-doped single LGS (Tb:LGS) crystal using the Czochralski (Cz) technique. We evaluated the crystal structure, the effective segregation of each element in the as-grown crystal, and the electro-elastic properties of the single Tb:LGS crystal. Additionally, we investigated the temperature stability of the electro-elastic properties over a range from room temperature to 500 °C.
2. Experimental Section
2.1. Polycrystal Powder Synthesis and Crystal Growth
The synthesis of high-purity polycrystalline materials is crucial for the successful growth of single crystals. In this study, high-temperature solid-state reactions were utilized to synthesize polycrystalline materials. The primary raw materials for crystal growth include La2O3, Tb4O7, Ga2O3, and SiO2, all of which possess a purity level of 4N (sourced from Aladdin). To achieve high-purity polycrystalline materials, the raw materials were weighed according to the stoichiometric ratio. Due to the volatility of Ga2O3 at elevated temperatures, an excess of 1 mol% Ga2O3 was incorporated into the experiment. The weighed powders were mechanically blended for 15 to 24 h to achieve thorough homogeneity. Subsequently, the thoroughly mixed materials were pressed into appropriately sized pellets, transferred to a corundum crucible, and pre-sintered in a muffle furnace at 1300 °C for over 10 h to yield the polycrystalline material.
The sintered polycrystalline material was then repeatedly melted in a platinum crucible and subjected to crystal growth using the Cz method. The melting point of LGS crystals is 1470 °C, and for the doping growth of Tb3+ crystals, the melting point will fluctuate, but the change will not be too large. When all the polycrystalline materials in the crucible were observed to melt, the temperature was increased by 100 °C and maintained at this level for several hours. A Z-axis-oriented LGS seed crystal was slowly immersed in the melt to initiate crystal growth. A pulling speed of 0.5 to 2 mm/h and a rotation speed of 10 to 20 rpm were consistently maintained throughout the growth process. After crystal growth, the crystal was cooled to room temperature at a rate of 15 to 50 K/h. To minimize defects that could compromise the crystal quality, the grown crystal was subsequently annealed in a muffle furnace. For the growth of high-concentration doped crystals, it is essential to ensure the crystal quality. During growth process using the Cz method, a slow pulling speed, combined with a slightly faster crystal rotation rate, was employed.
2.2. Characterizations
The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis of Tb:LGS was conducted using a Rigaku Miniflex 600 X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) equipped with Cu Kα radiation. Data were collected over a test range of 10° to 80° with a scanning speed of 10 min per degree. The data were further refined using GSASΙΙ software. To gain insights into the structure of Tb:LGS, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis was conducted. The X-ray diffraction data were collected using a Bruker D8 VENTURE diffractometer (Bruker Corporation, Berlin, Germany) equipped with a PHOTON-II CMOS detector, utilizing monochromatic Turbo X-ray Source (TXS) MoKα radiation (λ = 0.71073 Å) at 293 K. Data collection was performed in the shutterless mode, and the unit cell was determined using the Bruker APEX 4 software suite. The structure was solved by the intrinsic phasing method with the SHELXT 2018/2 program and refined using the full-matrix least squares on F2 with the SHELXL 2019/3 program. The quality of the grown Tb:LGS crystal was characterized through high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD). A well-polished Z plate crystal sample was prepared for testing. The elemental composition of the as-grown Tb:LGS crystal was determined using a Panalytical Axios X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). The photoluminescence emission and excitation spectra, along with the photoluminescence decay curves, were recorded using an Edinburgh FLS-1000 fluorescence spectrophotometer (Edinburgh Instruments Ltd., Livingston, UK). A continuous xenon lamp was utilized to collect the luminescence emission and excitation spectra.
2.3. Evaluation of Electro-Elastic Constants
Based on the crystal symmetry, the Tb:LGS crystal exhibited eleven independent nonzero electro-elastic constants: two independent dielectric permittivities and , two independent nonzero piezoelectric coefficients (d11 and d14), and seven independent nonzero elastic constants (, , , , , and ). To determine all dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic constants using the impedance method, we fabricated eight samples with different configurations based on the IEEE standard for piezoelectricity [25], as schematically shown in Figure 1. The dimensions of the square-shaped plates were 8 × 8 × 1 mm3 [(a–c)], and the rectangular-shaped plates were 1 × 2 × 6 mm3 [(d–h)]. The samples were sputter-coated with platinum to serve as electrodes along the direction of the applied electric field. The capacitance (C), resonance frequency (fr), and anti-resonance frequency (fa) of the crystal samples were measured using an impedance phase–gain analyzer (HP4194A) (Hewlett- Packard, Houston, TX, USA). Table 1 summarizes the cut types, vibration modes, and vibration equations used to assess the electro-elastic properties of the Tb:LGS crystal. Additionally, the temperature stability of the electro-elastic constants was evaluated using a high-temperature furnace (KSL-1200X) (MTI Corporation, Hefei, China) for measurements.
3. Results
3.1. Crystal Structure, Quality, and Segregation Coefficient
High-quality Tb:LGS crystals with a [001] direction were successfully grown by using the Cz method, as depicted in Figure 2a. The crystal was transparent and free from cracks. As illustrated in the inset in Figure 2a, the growth direction exhibited a distinct growth ridge that reflected the symmetry of the crystal. The relationships between the crystallographic axes (a, b, and c) and physical property axes (X, Y, Z) are presented in Figure 2a. To accurately assess the crystalline quality of the obtained single crystal, the rocking curve of the (001) wafer was measured. The sample was randomly cut from a bulk crystal and carefully polished on both sides, with the results presented in Figure 2b. The Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM) value for the Tb:LGS crystal was ascertained to be 49.78″, indicating sharp and symmetric peaks that reflected a homogeneous composition and high crystalline quality. Such high quality can offer a satisfactory basis for the measurement while meeting the requirements in practical applications.
The Tb:LGS polycrystalline sample was synthesized using the high-temperature solid-phase method. The verification of the phase purity was conducted by PXRD, and the characteristic diffraction peaks of the Tb:LGS crystals displayed good agreement with those of the standard patterns as depicted in Figure 3a. Rietveld refinement was employed for the as-grown single Tb:LGS crystals, as shown in Figure 3b. The final refinement yielded Rp and Rw values of 2.95% and 5.72%, respectively, which are within reasonable limits. This indicates that the as-grown Tb:LGS crystals were of a pure phase and that the incorporation of Tb3+ did not alter the crystal structure.
To further clarify its structure, crystal structure analyses (Table 2) revealed that Tb:LGS is crystallized in the trigonal system with the P321 space group. The unit cell parameters were a = b = 8.1537(4) Å and c = 5.0916(4) Å. It can be concluded that doping with Tb3+ results in a reduction in the unit cell volume of the Tb:LGS crystal when compared to the standard LGS crystal, which has dimensions of a = b = 8.168 Å and c = 5.095 Å. In the asymmetric unit of Tb:LGS (Figure 4), there are three distinct Ga atoms, one distinct Si atom, and three distinct O atoms. Specifically, one La atom is present, with the Tb3+ ion occupying part of the position of the La atom. These atoms form polyhedra with the O atoms, which are then interconnected through shared oxygen atoms, resulting in a three-dimensional framework structure. The results indicate that the structure of Tb:LGS remains unchanged when the Tb3+ ion is partially substituted with a La3+ ion.
The concentrations of Tb3+, La3+, Ga3+, Si4+, and O2− ions in the as-grown Tb:LGS crystal was ascertained using XRF. The effective segregation coefficient of each element in the Tb:LGS crystal can be obtained as follows:
in which CS represents the concentration in the as-grown Tb:LGS crystal and CL denotes the concentration of the melt. Based on the XRF results, the effective segregation coefficient keff could be obtained and is presented in Table 3. The concentration of the Tb3+ ion in the crystal was determined to be 2.50 wt%. The effective segregation coefficients for La3+, Ga3+, Si4+, and O2− were approximately equal to 1, indicating that the composition of the solid phase and the melt remains consistent at the solid–liquid interface during crystal growth. The effective segregation coefficient for the Tb3+ ion was calculated to be 0.541, suggesting that the incorporation of the Tb3+ ion into the crystal is challenging.3.2. Fluorescence Properties
Figure 5a presents the emission spectra obtained under 375 nm excitation at room temperature. The four primary emission bands observed at approximately 491 nm, 544 nm, 585 nm, and 624 nm correspond to the transitions from the excited state 5D4 to the 7F6, 7F5, 7F4, and 7F3 states, respectively. Notably, the emission band at 544 nm exhibited the highest intensity. Figure 5b illustrates the decay curve of transient photoluminescence at room temperature, which can be accurately fitted using a biexponential function.
and the fluorescence lifetime (τ) is calculated to be 1.655 ms using the following formula:An extended lifetime significantly reduces the pump threshold necessary for achieving population inversion during laser generation. This characteristic is advantageous for energy storage during the lasing process, indicating potential applications in laser technology.
3.3. Electro-Elastic Properties and Temperature Stability
The complete sets of the electro-elastic constants for the Tb:LGS crystals were determined using the impedance at room temperature, and the results are summarized in Table 4. The electro-elastic constants of the LGS crystals [11] are also listed for comparison. The dielectric permittivities of the Tb:LGS crystal were 19.60 and 52.75, which are slightly higher than those of the LGS crystal. In comparison with LGS crystals, the piezoelectric coefficients of Tb:LGS crystals were slightly lower, at 5.41 and −3.26 pC/N, respectively. The reason may be that when La3+ is replaced by Tb3+ with a small ionic radius, the cell parameters and volume are reduced, which reduces the degree of polyhedral distortion and leads to a decrease in the piezoelectric constant. These observations provide a strong basis for the further exploration of the relationship between the properties and structures of these crystals.
The temperature-dependent behavior of the electro-elastic constants for the Tb:LGS crystal was studied over a temperature range from 25 °C to 500 °C. Figure 6 depicts the variations in the relative dielectric permittivity (i = 1 and 3) as a function of the temperature. The results reveal that the relative dielectric permittivities and exhibited an increasing trend with rising temperatures, with changes recorded at 23.4% and 32.1%, respectively. In a manner similar to that of the dielectric permittivity, the dielectric loss also gradually increased with the temperature. Notably, for tanδ11, a significant mutation was observed at 300 °C and 350 °C, which may be attributed to the formation of space charges within the crystal structure.
Figure 7 illustrates the variation in the elastic compliance constants of the Tb:LGS crystal with the temperature. The results indicate that the elastic compliance constants exhibited commendable temperature stability. The changes in , , , , , and were recorded as 1.35%, −3.79%, 2.82%, 5.69%, 0.23%, and −0.51%, respectively. As the temperature increased from room temperature to 500 °C, the maximum value of the elastic compliance constant () decreased slightly from 26.88 pm2/N to 26.74 pm2/N, demonstrating favorable thermal stability.
As the temperature increased, the electromechanical coupling coefficients k12 and k26 exhibited an upward trend, as shown in Figure 8. At room temperature, k12 and k26 were measured at 14.01% and 10.18%, respectively. When the temperature rose to 500 °C, these values increased to 15.14% and 13.26%, respectively. The variation in k12 and k26 was 8.06% and 30.25%, respectively. Notably, k12 demonstrated better temperature stability. Figure 9 presents the temperature stability of the piezoelectric coefficients, which was derived from the dielectric permittivity, elastic constant, and electromechanical coupling coefficient. It was observed that the piezoelectric coefficient d11 increased from 5.41 pC/N at room temperature to 6.77 pC/N at 500 °C, reflecting a variation of 25.0%. Similarly, the piezoelectric coefficient d14 changed from −5.52 pC/N at room temperature to −6.99 pC/N at 500 °C, resulting in a variation of 26.6%.
4. Conclusions
Single Tb:LGS crystals with 2.50 wt% Tb3+ were successfully grown by the Czochralski method, and the crystal structure was investigated. The crystal structure of the Tb:LGS crystal was determined to be a trigonal system with unit cell parameters of a = b = 8.1537(4) Å and c = 5.0916(4) Å. The electro-elastic properties of single Tb:LGS crystals were investigated. The complete matrix of the dielectric, elastic, and piezoelectric constants was determined using the resonance method. The piezoelectric coefficients d11 and d14 were measured to be 5.41 and −5.52 pC/N, respectively. Tb:LGS crystals were found to exhibit relatively high piezoelectric properties and excellent temperature stability. Compared to LGS crystals, Tb:LGS is a promising piezoelectric crystal. Meanwhile, the Tb:LGS crystal offers valuable insights into the relationship between the properties and structures of these crystals.
N.Z.: writing—original draft preparation; J.W.: data curation; H.Z.: conceptualization; F.C.: revised manuscript; F.Y.: methodology; L.S.: investigation; X.Z.: supervision. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Data are contained within the article.
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Footnotes
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Figure 1. Crystal cut configurations of Tb:LGS crystal for evaluation of electro-elastic constants: (a) X plate; (b) Y plate; (c) Z plate; (d–h) YXt/θ (θ = 0°, 30°, 45°, 85°, and −45°.
Figure 2. (a) As-grown single Tb:LGS crystal; theoretical morphology for the Tb: LGS crystal (inset). (b) Rocking curve of the (001) wafer of the Tb:LGS crystal.
Figure 3. (a) Experimental and calculated PXRD patterns of Tb:LGS polycrystalline samples; (b) Rietveld refinement plots of as-grown single Tb:LGS crystals.
Figure 5. Fluorescence properties of the Tb:LGS crystal: (a) excitation spectra; (b) decay curve of transient photoluminescence. Red dots are the experimental data, and the blue curve is the one fitted by a double exponential function.
Figure 6. Relative dielectric constants of the Tb:LGS crystal as a function of the temperature.
Figure 7. Elastic compliance of the Tb:LGS crystal as a function of the temperature.
Figure 8. Electromechanical coupling factors of the Tb:LGS crystal as a function of the temperature.
Figure 9. Piezoelectric coefficients of the Tb:LGS crystal as a function of the temperature.
The cut types, vibration modes, and equations for assessing the electro-elastic properties of the Tb:LGS crystal.
Crystal Cuts | Vibration Modes | Material | Related Equations |
---|---|---|---|
X plate (a) | / | | |
Z plate (c) | / | | |
XY plate (d) | Length | | |
XYt/45° plate (f) | Length extension | d 14 | |
XYt/−45° plate (h) | Length extension | ||
XYt/−30° plate (e) | Length extension | | |
XYt/85° plate (g) | Length extension | | |
Y plate (b) | Face shear | | |
Thickness shear | | |
Crystal information and structure refinement of Tb:LGS.
Empirical Formula | La2.7Tb0.3Ga5SiO14 |
---|---|
Formula weight (g·mol−1) | 1023.42 |
Temperature (K) | 293.00 |
Crystal system | trigonal |
Space group | P321 |
a (Å) | 8.1537(4) |
b (Å) | 8.1537(4) |
c (Å) | 5.0916(4) |
Volume (Å3) | 293.15(4) |
Z | 1 |
F (000) | 454.0 |
Goodness of fit on F2 | 1.162 |
Final R indexes [I >= 2σ (I)] | R1 = 0.0145, wR2 = 0.0349 |
Final R indexes [all data] | R1 = 0.0146, wR2 = 0.0350 |
XRF analysis of single Tb:LGS crystal.
La | Ga | O | Si | Tb | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard (wt%) | 36.65 | 34.06 | 21.89 | 2.74 | 4.66 |
Sample (wt%) | 39.73 | 32.87 | 22.21 | 2.66 | 2.52 |
keff | 1.084 | 0.965 | 1.015 | 0.970 | 0.541 |
Summary of the electro-elastic constants of the single Tb:LGS crystal compared to those of LGS crystals [
Relative dielectric permittivities, | |||||||
| | ||||||
Tb:LGS | 19.60 | 52.75 | |||||
LGS | 19.2 | 50.7 | |||||
Piezoelectric charge coefficients, dij (pC/N) | |||||||
d11 | d14 | ||||||
Tb:LGS | 5.41 | −5.52 | |||||
LGS | 6.15 | −6.01 | |||||
Elastic compliance constants, | |||||||
| | | | | | | |
Tb:LGS | 8.60 | −4.84 | −3.96 | −4.83 | 9.93 | 19.35 | 26.88 |
LGS | 8.86 | −4.24 | −1.79 | −3.48 | 5.19 | 20.32 | 26.19 |
Electromechanical coupling coefficients, kij (%) | |||||||
k12 | k26 | ||||||
Tb:LGS | 14.01 | 10.18 | |||||
LGS | 16 | 13.4 |
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25.
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Abstract
Piezoelectric materials have garnered significant attention due to their diverse applications in technologies such as sensors, actuators, and energy-harvesting systems. This study focuses on the growth and characterization of Tb3+-doped La3Ga5SiO14 (LGS) crystals. A novel 10% Tb3+-doped single LGS crystal was successfully grown using the Czochralski method. The crystal structure and fluorescence properties were determined, and the electro-elastic properties were evaluated by the impedance method, which assessed dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic constants. The Tb3+-doped crystal was observed to crystallize in the trigonal system, with the concentration of the Tb3+ ion in the crystal determined to be 2.50 wt%. The piezoelectric coefficients were measured as d11 = 5.41 pC/N and d14 = −5.52 pC/N, and the dielectric constants were found to be 19.60 and 52.75, respectively. The temperature-dependent behavior of Tb:LGS crystals was investigated, particularly concerning their elastic constants, demonstrating favorable thermal stability. This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between the crystals’ structural characteristics and performance. Additionally, the fluorescence properties were measured; a long lifetime (τ = 1.655 ms) indicated the potential applications of Tb:LGS crystals in laser technology.
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1 Center for Optics Research and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Laser & Infrared System, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China;
2 State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China;
3 Institute of Novel Semiconductors, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China;