Crystal growth of CaMn1−xMoxO3 perovskites by the floating-zone technique (0⩽x⩽0.15)

The crystal growth of perovskite manganites with composition CaMn1−xMoxO3 (0⩽x⩽0.15) by the floating zone technique is reported. An air over-pressure is used to avoid the loss of manganese and molybdenum during the growth. The effect of the growth parameters (atmosphere, pressure, speed) on the quality of the crystals is discussed for several compositions. The crystals were characterized by X-ray (diffraction and pole figures) and electron probe microanalysis. Magnetization data are also presented.