Large size rare earth iron garnet single crystals grown by the flux-Bridgman method

Rare earth garnet(R_(3)Fe_(5)O_(12),RIG)single crystals are the most ideal magneto-optical medium for optical isolators for wavelength longer than 1.1μm,which has been commercially used in optical fiber communications.However,it is still a great challenge to grow large size RIG single crystals.In this work,highquality Y3 Fe5 O12(YIG)and Bi_(0.9)Tb_(2.1)Fe_(5)O_(12)(Bi:TIG)single crystals were successfully grown by the flux-Bridgman method for the first time.The as-grown crystals up to 20 mm in diameter was obtained using the PbO-B_(2)O_(3)flux.The transmittance of YIG crystals is over 75%in the region of 1100-2500 nm.TIG crystals also have good transmittance in the range of 1100-1700 nm,and show typical Tb absorption from 1700 to 2500 nm.The specific Faraday rotations of YIG and Bi_(0.9)Tb_(2.1)Fe_(5)O_(12) crystals are 185(°)/cm and-1250(°)/cm at 1550 nm,which are comparable to the commercial RIG crystals grown by LPE method.The present results indicate that flux-Bridgman method shows great potential to grow large size and high-quality RIG magneto-optical crystals.

Luminescence Chronology and Radiocarbon Reservoir Age Determination of Lacustrine Sediments from the Heihai Lake,NE Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Its Paleoclimate Implications

The accurately determining the lake ^14C reservoir age has a crucial significance for climatic reconstruction. In this study, the optically stimulated luminescence （OSL） dating method is employed to date samples from highstand lacustrine sediments, palaeoshoreline, fluvial terrace, and the alluvial fan of the Heihai Lake catchment. Accelerator mass spectrometry （AMS） 14C dating was also used to date fossil plants from highstand lacustrine sediments. Based on the calculations of linear regression with OSL against radiocarbon ages for same layers of two sections, the quantitative ^14C reservoir ages were estimated to lie between 3 353 and 3 464 yr during the 1.8 to 2.4 ka, which showed temporal variation. The sources of old carbon are the dissolution of carbonate bedrocks distributed along the Kunlun Mountain. The OSL ages of the different members of the hydatogen sedimentary system at Heihai Lake catchment indicate that a stronger hydrologic condition occurred from 3.0±0.2 to 1.8±0.2 ka, with a maximum lake level of 9 m higher than present. This humid stage was widely recorded in different sediments on the QTP and Chinese Loess Plateau （CLP）, indicating its broad synchronicity across the Asian Summer Monsoon region. The enhanced East Asian Summer Monsoon （EASM） and the Indian Summer Monsoon （ISM） resulted in the increase of moisture availability for the Heihai Lake area during this stage.