Effect of doping on the optical properties of lanthanum-gallium tantalate

Nominally pure lanthanum-gallium tantalate La₃Ga_5.5Ta_0.5O₁₄ crystals doped with aluminum, silicon and gallium oxide to above stoichiometric content have been grown by the Czochralski technique in iridium crucibles in argon and in agron with addition of oxygen atmospheres. The transmittance spectra of the crystals have been measured on a Cary-5000 UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer in the 200–800 nm range. Absorption spectra α(λ) have been plotted on the basis of the experimental data. The absorption spectra of the undoped crystals grown in an oxygen-free atmosphere have one weak absorption band at λ ~ 290 nm. The absorption spectra of the crystals grown in an agron with addition of oxygen have absorption bands at λ ~ 290, 360 and 480 nm. We show that for the crystals grown in an oxygen-free atmosphere, gallium doping to above stoichiometric content reduces the intensity of its only λ ~ 290 nm absorption band. Aluminum doping of the La₃Ga_5.5Ta_0.5O₁₄ crystals grown in an oxygen-free atmosphere significantly reduces the intensity of the λ ~ 290 nm absorption band and increases the intensity of the λ ~ 360 and 480 nm bands. Aluminum doping of the La₃Ga_5.5Ta_0.5O₁₄ crystals grown in an oxygen-containing atmosphere reduces the intensity of the λ ~ 360 and 480 nm bands and increases the intensity of the λ ~ 290 nm absorption band. Silicon doping of these crystals significantly reduces the intensity of the λ ~ 480 nm band and also reduces the intensity of the λ ~ 290 and 360 nm bands.