Crystallization mechanisms and optical properties

Abstract
General principles of nanocrystallization in oxyfluoride glasses, with special attention to the crystallization of fluoride and double-fluoride phases are presented. Collaboration with other institutions has allowed the optical characterization of these materials, which suggests a promising future for them, for example, in optics and photovoltaics. Finding the best material requires that several factors be improved: crystallization of the appropriate fluoride crystal (including new phases such as sodium lutetium fluoride and lithium lutetium fluoride), a high crystalline fraction, and maximum incorporation of the RE ion into the crystalline structure, among others.