Paramagnetic impurity defects in LuAG and LuAG: Sc single crystals

Abstract The study of impurity related defect states in pure and Sc-doped lutetium aluminum garnet Lu3Al5O12 (LuAG) has been performed by the electron spin resonance (ESR) method. A presence of both Yb3+ and Mo5+ impurity ions, incorporated into the crystals from the Lu2O3 oxide and Mo crucible during the growth process, was revealed. It was found that Yb3+ ions substitute for Lu3+ at their regular sites and Mo3+ ions substitute for Al3+ at regular octahedral sites. Concentration of Mo3+ increases by a factor of 10 in the Sc-containing crystals.