Growth of single-crystals of rare-earth zirconate pyrochlores, Ln2Zr2O7Ln2Zr2O7 (with Ln=La, Nd, Sm, and Gd) by the floating zone technique

•High quality zirconate pyrochlore crystals were grown by the floating zone method.•The growths were performed in a four-mirror xenon arc lamp optical image furnace.•The crystals have been characterized using X-ray diffraction techniques.•The structure of Ln2Zr2O7Ln2Zr2O7 (Ln=La,Nd,Sm) corresponds to the pyrochlore type.•Gd2Zr2O7Gd2Zr2O7 crystal boule was obtained in the defect-fluorite form.

The geometrical frustration occurring in the crystal lattice of pyrochlore oxides of the type A2B2O7A2B2O7 (where A=Rare Earth, B  =Mo, Sn, Ti, Zr) leads to exotic magnetic properties of these materials. The present study focuses on a new class of frustrated magnets, the lanthanide zirconates. Large, high quality single-crystals of the rare-earth zirconium oxides, Ln2Zr2O7Ln2Zr2O7 (where Ln=La, Nd, Sm, and Gd), have been grown by the floating zone technique, using a high power xenon arc lamp furnace. The crystals have been characterized and tested for their quality using X-ray diffraction techniques.