Crystal growth and spectral properties of pure and Co2+-doped Mg3B2O6 crystal

Novel pure and cobalt-doped magnesium borate crystals (Mg3B2O6) have been grown successfully by the Czochralski technique for the first time. Crystal growth, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis, absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum as well as fluorescence decay curve of Co2+:Mg3B2O6 (MBO) were described. From the absorption peaks for the octahedral Co2+ ions, the crystal-field parameter Dq and the Racah parameter B were estimated to be 943.3 cm−1 and 821.6 cm−1, respectively. The fluorescence lifetime of the transition 4T1(4P) → 4T2 centered at 717 nm was measured to be 9.68 ms.