Phase transition, growth, and optical properties of NdxLa1-xSc3(BO3)(4) crystals

The low-temperature phase, trigonal phase, of space group R32 was discovered in the compound LaSc3(BO3)(4) (LSB) doped with arbitrary concentration of Nd3+ ions (NLSB). For LSB, the lattice constants are a = 9.820 +/- 0.003 Angstrom, c = 7.975 +/- 0.003 Angstrom. The decomposition of NLSB phase was observed in two regions of temperature below and above the congruent melting point by differential thermal analysis and x-ray powder diffraction methods. The single crystals of 2 x 2 x 3 mm(3) of dominant trigonal phase for x = 0.5 were grown by the flux method (LiBO2), Second harmonic generation effect was observed in NLSB for x = 0 to 1. The concentration dependence of fluorescence lifetime was measured and derived from Dexter's theory of resonant energy transfer.