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Title: Analysis of valence-electron structures of Y/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/(YAG) and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, Cr/sub 2/O/sub 2/ (Ruby), a study of certain properties of these laser materials related to their valence-electron structures

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5189517

A direct method of determination of the valence-electron structure from its crystal structure has been presented by the writer at XIIth International Congress of Crystallography, at Ottawa, 1981. Here the method is applied to determine the valence-electron structures of Y/sub 3/Al/sub 5/O/sub 12/ (YAG) and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/ (ruby) to see how certain properties of these laser materials are related to their valence-electron structures. The first point observed is the very strong, continuous, but zig-zag three-dimensional fractional covalent M-O bond nets (M = Al or Cr) being connected with the high melting points, the great resistance against the puncture by the strong laser beam. In the case of Nd-YAG, the distortion caused by the replacement of the Y atoms by almost the same size Nd atoms is small. On the other hand, because of the similarity of the valence-electron structures of ..cap alpha..-Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/, the replacement of Al atoms by the little larger size Cr atoms in small amount is easily understood. The large atomic spins of magnetic moment m/sub B/ = 2.76 ..mu../sub B/ (= experiment value, the theoretical m/sub B/ = 2.70/sub 2/ ..mu../sub B/) of Cr atoms pointing parallel to the c axis of the hexagonal lattice, is found to be due to the direction of the spin situated in the space of lowest density space of the valence-electron cloud distribution. This agrees with the result of ..cap alpha..-Fe disclosed in the paper Electron theory of the magnetic moment structures of ..cap alpha..-Fe, epsilon-Co, Ni from neutron diffraction experiments presented at the Symposium on Neutron Scattering, Argonne National Laboratory, 1981. This will be found also true in many other oxides like ..cap alpha..-Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/, FeTiO/sub 3/, MnTiO/sub 3/ and so on.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH00016
OSTI ID:
5189517
Report Number(s):
BNL-31380; CONF-820585-1; ON: DE82016747; TRN: 82-013630
Resource Relation:
Conference: Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers technical symposium, Arlington, VA, USA, 3 May 1982; Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English