PREPARATION OF LAB6 SINGLE-CRYSTALS FROM A BORON-RICH MOLTEN ZONE BY THE FLOATING ZONE METHOD

Single crystals of LaB6 were prepared using the RF heated floating zone method. The growth temperature was decreased by increasing the boron content in the molten zone (the traveling solvent floating zone method). Subgrain boundaries were not observed in the crystal when the growth temperature was decreased by 170-degrees-C, when the atomic ratio of the zone composition of B/La was 11. The composition of the prepared crystals was in a narrow nonstoichiometric La deficiency range of less than 1.1% of La and the atomic ratio of B/La was 6-6.06. The residual electrical resistivity at 4.2 K increased by 0.5 muOMEGA cm per 1% of the La vacancy.