Determination of the orientation of internal linear defects in isotropic optical crystals

Abstract

Study of the structure of optical crystals and defects in them is one of the most important problems in crystal physics, crystallography and material science. Nowadays, study of the nanostructures, including the linear defects in crystals is of particular importance. Defects, and first and foremost linear imperfections of the crystal structure, significantly reduce the operational physical properties of optical crystals. Analysis of the properties of those defects, their orientation in the crystal lattice, as well as developing of the methods for determination of the crystallographic orientation of linear defects are the most important in view of the possibility of improving the properties of optical crystals. A method for rapid determination of the crystallographic orientation of linear defects (dislocations, clusters, linearly extended bulk inclusions, etc.) in optical crystals is presented. The orientation of a linearly extended micropore in an isotropic optical transparent fluorite crystal was determined using an optical microscope. The readings of the scale of the eyepiece drum were recorded when rotating the crystal fixed in the crystal holder of the microscope. Corrections for the refraction of light in the bulk of the crystal were taken into account analytically. The crystallographic orientation of the microporous in a transparent fluorite crystal was studied in detail. Crystallographic indices of micropore orientation corresponded to [100]. We developed an efficient rapid procedure for determination of the orientation of internal linear defects (imperfections) in optically isotropic crystals using an optical microscope. The restrictions imposed on the angles of crystal rotation depending on the value of the refractive index are considered for the given method of determination.