Study of the influence of dopants on the crystalline perfection of ferroelectric glycine phosphite single crystals using high-resolution X-ray diffraction analysis

Abstract

Good quality and optically transparent single crystals of pure and doped glycine phosphite (GPI) were grown by both solvent-evaporation and temperature-cooling techniques. Dopants were chosen in different categories, namely transition metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, Mg, Cd), rare-earth metals (Ce, Nd, La), dyes (rhodamine B, malachite green, fluorescein) and an amino acid (L-proline). The concentration of dopants was chosen depending on the category of dopants and the quality of crystallization during the growth process. The crystalline perfection of the as-grown pure and doped GPI crystals was investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction at room temperature. A multicrystal X-ray diffractometer employing a well collimated and highly monochromated Mo Kα1beam and set in the (+, −, −, +) configuration was employed. Most of the crystal specimens show excellent crystalline perfection. However, grain boundaries, low-angle tilt boundaries, and vacancy and interstitial point defects were observed in some crystal specimens.