Some observations on the growth of garnet crystals

This paper describes the particulars of a garnet single crystal growth program. Crystals are grown from a lead oxide. lead flouride and boric oxide flux. A temperature cycling technique and a temperature gradient across a sealed crucible eliminate the creation of an excessive number of nucleation centers and result in larger crystals. Some growth mechanisms are revealed from observations of crystals at different growth stages. The crystals show both latteral and vertical growth modes. The growth is similar to a prolonged liquid phase epitaxial growth. Build-up of inclusions and strain is discussed, and the results of crystal etching are presented.