Novel Optical Hosts: Chemistry, Single Crystal Growth and Applications

非技术总结：该项目开发了用于光学的重要材料的大单晶生长技术，否则很难制备和研究。许多努力集中在新激光材料等领域的基础研究上。这些材料将增加对新的激光应用、新的显示技术和新的探测器科学的基本科学认识。主要的支持是培养研究生，特别是攻读博士学位的研究生。他们正在接受培训，从事晶体生长、表征和光学应用新材料性能方面的研究，这一领域在美国普遍不发达。学生与工业和国家实验室合作者的互动将得到支持。这项工作的广泛影响将增强下一代材料的专业知识，并扩大美国研究人员在光学和激光方面的能力。技术概述：在材料研究部固体与材料化学项目的支持下，本项目利用热液流体，即500-700℃和1-2kbar之间的水相进行新固体的基础探索。这些条件为新材料的探索性生长提供了独特的介质，特别是以大而高质量的单晶的形式。该计划特别侧重于可以作为光学应用主机的单晶，包括激光，上转换和闪烁。重点是可以选择性地掺杂光学活性离子的金属氧化物和卤化物。目标是发现和确定在这种独特的反应介质中可以形成的新相，并研究它们的结构和光谱特性。目前正在研究的主要领域有三个：基于绿柱石的氧化物的新化学，钒酸盐的宿主化学，以及金属钽酸盐和铌酸盐的基础探索化学。在所有情况下，将寻找新的结构类型，并研究其后续的光谱和光学性质。

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:This project develops techniques to grow large single crystals of important materials for use in optics that are otherwise difficult to prepare and study. Many of the efforts focus on a fundamental study of fields such as new laser materials. These materials will add to the basic scientific understanding of new laser applications, new display technologies and new detector science. The primary support will be for the training of graduate students particularly those working toward the Ph.D. degree. They are being trained to perform research in crystal growth, characterization and properties of new materials for optical applications, an area that is generally underdeveloped in the US. Student interactions with industrial and national laboratory collaborators will be supported. The broader impacts of this work will enhance the expertise of the next generation of materials and expand the capacity of US researchers in optics and lasers.TECHNICAL SUMMARY: With support from the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, this project employs the use of hydrothermal fluids, namely aqueous phases between 500-700 C and 1-2kbar for fundamental explorations of new solids. These conditions provide a unique medium for the exploratory growth of new materials, particularly in the form of large, high quality single crystals. This program focuses in particular, on single crystals that can serve as hosts for optical applications including lasing, up-conversion and scintillation. The emphasis is on metal oxides and halides that can be selectively doped with optically active ions. The goal is to discover and identify new phases that can be made in this unique reaction medium, and to study their structural and spectroscopic properties. There are three broad thrust areas under investigation, the novel chemistry of beryl-based oxides, the host chemistry of vanadates, and the fundamental exploratory chemistry of metal tantalates and niobates. In all cases, new structural types will be sought and their subsequent spectroscopic and optical properties will be investigated.