Single crystal growth by the floating-zone method of a geometrically frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnet, Tb2Ti2O7

Large, high quality, single crystals of Tb2Ti2O7, have been successfully grown by the floating zone method under a controlled atmosphere. Crystals, approximately 3–5mm in diameter and up to 20mm in length, were grown from a small seed crystal. Several crystals have been characterised to determine their crystal quality, chemical structure and magnetic properties and these results were compared to those of sintered polycrystalline pellets. These …