Thin Crystal Growth of Alkali Halides from Melt by Using Quartz Cell and Their Optical Properties Due to Excitons

Abstract

A growth method has been developed for preparing thin alkali halide crystals of thicknesses from 0.05 to 50 µm. In this method, the melt is introduced, through capillary action, into a narrow gap between two parallel quartz plates and allowed to solidify. Optical properties of these thin crystal have been measured low temperatures. As an example of this, we examine the case of KI, in which the absorption and emission spectra of excitons are discussed in comparison with those obtained in bulk crystals.