Effects of Oxygen and Water Vapor on the "OH" Absorption in Melt-Grown Alkali Halides

Abstract

Single crystals of KCl and NaCl have been grown from the melt with several changes in the ambient atmosphere during the growth of each crystal. The effects of atmospheres of water vapor and oxygen separately and combined on the ultraviolet "OH" absorption band have been examined. In KCl it was found that water vapor and oxygen are separately ineffective but together produce a continuously increasing "OH" absorption. In NaCl the increase is induced by water vapor alone. For KCl the rate of crystal growth in oxygen is found to be more than twice the rate in argon.