Tilted LASER Diode Floating Zone Furnace (LDFZ)
The real-time tilting laser-diode floating-zone (LDFZ) is a new variant of the floating-zone melting technique where the molten-zone is established using a set of near-IR (974 nm) lasers mounted on optical platforms that enables real-time control of angle of incidence. Compared to traditional light sources, laser diodes offer exceptional temperature stability and angled heating imparts additional stability to the molten zone. The result is a highly versatile synthetic capability not only for traditional floating zone growths, but also for travelling solvent growth of incongruent melting materials, as well as the laser pedestal growth of a wide range of specimens.
It can be operated under a gas pressure of up to 10 bar with options for growing samples under argon, air, oxygen, nitrogen and other gases at temperatures above 2400° C. Typical sample sizes that can be accommodated in this furnace are 4-8 mm in diameter and 1-10 cm in height.
Two different borides grown in the LDFZ.
Sample Publications Using this Instrument
M.R. Scudder, B. He, Y. Wang, A. Rai, D. Cahill, W. Windl, J.P. Heremans, and J. Goldberger, "Highly Efficient Transverse Thermoelectric Devices with Re4Si7 crystals," Energy Environ. Sci. 14, 4009-4017 (2021) and Highlight #41.
C.J. Wright, E. Dooryhée, L.A. Pressley, W.A. Phelan, P.G. Khalifah, and S.J.L. Billinge, "Toward In Situ Synchrotron Mapping of Crystal Selection Processes during Crystal Growth," Chem. Mater. 33, 3359–3367 (2021) and Highlight #40.
L.A. Pressley, A. Torrejon, W.A. Phelan, and T.M. McQueen, "Discovery and Single Crystal Growth of High Entropy Pyrochlores," Inorg. Chem. 59, 17251-17258 (2020) and Highlight #34.
M. Straker, A. Chauhan, M. Sinha, W.A. Phelan, M.V.S.Chandrashekhar, K.J. Hemker, C. Marvel, and M. Spencer, “Growth of High Purity Zone-Refined Boron Carbide Single Crystals by Laser Diode Floating Zone Method,” J. Cryst. Growth 543, 125700 (2020) and Highlight #9.
