title: Gadolinium ytterbium trifluoride, Gd0.81Yb0.19F3.
abstract: A new gadolinium ytterbium trifluoride has been grown for the first time by the Czochralski technique. Although GdF(3) and YbF(3) both present a high-temperature phase transition, the mixed compound Gd(0.81)Yb(0.19)F(3) maintains its crystallographic structure upon cooling to room temperature. Taking into account that both Gd(3+) and Yb(3+) ions are distributed randomly on a single site (Wyckoff position 4c), this is attributed to a mean cationic radius coincident with that of the Tb(3+) ion, so that the stability of the crystal structure resembles that of TbF(3). The grown crystal melts noncongruently at ∼1413 K, it is transparent and colourless, and it has a high density.
authors.affiliation: Frequency Conversion Group, Optronic Materials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. vasyliev.valentyn@nims.go.jp
authors.forename: Valentyn
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasyliev
authors.forename: Encarnacion G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Villora
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamura