Effect of impurities and growth parameters on the quality of Tl3AsSe3 optical crystal

Thallium arsenic selenide (Tl3AsSe3) stoichiometric source materials suitable for crystal growth was synthesized in a horizontal furnace using purified parent components Tl, As and Se. Single crystal was grown using a two zone vertical Bridgman furnace using capillary for nucleation. A thermal gradient 18-20 K/cm and growth speed of 1 cm/day was used in vertical Bridgman furnace during crystal growth. Crystals were free from micro cracks and precipitates and demonstrated good fabricability. Results indicated that lower gradient and low growth rate are key to reduce thermal stresses in this ternary Tl-As-Se material system. Measured dielectric values in the range of 10 Hz to 100 KHz were almost constant indicating its suitability for applications in a range of frequency where constant dielectric is required.