Mixing strategies in the top seeded solution growth-slow cooling of doped KGd(PO3)4 crystals

A 3D numerical simulation is presented here to analyze the growth of doped KGd(PO3)4 single crystals. A quasi-steady approximation of the whole growth based on three independent sets of simulations considering three different crystal sizes has been made. Under this approximation, the steady axial flow rate shows a double linear dependence on the crystal size and on the rotation rate externally applied. In addition, the present calculations indicate that the sixteen vanes rotating platinum stirrer used in real growth experiments does not improve the axial flow toward the crystal/s, only increases the tangential velocity of the liquid system.. Finally, according to the axial flow criterion, it can be concluded that the best situations are obtained using one or two eccentric rotating crystals without stirrer.