Experimental evidence that a high electric field acts as an efficient external parameter during crystalline growth of bulk oxide

A new crystal growth device, in which a high static external electric voltage (up to 14 kV) is added to a floating zone method, is described. Our first experiments show that the application of such an electric field acts like an external force, introducing a pressure effect which is in direct competition with temperature in the solid/liquid thermodynamic equilibrium. High electric fields could therefore be an additional parameter in crystal growth, opening original routes to the synthesis of new materials.