Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for growing thin crystal fibers via optical heating. The apparatuses may include and the methods may employ a source of optical energy for heating a source material to form a molten zone of melted source material, an upper fiber guide for pulling a growing crystal fiber along a defined translational axis away from the molten zone, and a lower feed guide for pushing additional source material along a defined translational axis towards the molten zone. For certain such apparatuses and the methods that employ them, the lower feed guide's translational axis and upper fiber guide's translational axis are substantially aligned vertically and axially so as to horizontally locate the source material in the path of optical energy emitted from the optical energy source, in some cases to within a horizontal tolerance of about 5 m.

Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for growing thin crystal fibers via optical heating. The apparatuses may include and the methods may employ a source of optical energy for heating a source material to form a molten zone of melted source material, an upper fiber guide for pulling a growing crystal fiber along a defined translational axis away from the molten zone, and a lower feed guide for pushing additional source material along a defined translational axis towards the molten zone. For certain such apparatuses and the methods that employ them, the lower feed guide's translational axis and upper fiber guide's translational axis are substantially aligned vertically and axially so as to horizontally locate the source material in the path of optical energy emitted from the optical energy source, in some cases to within a horizontal tolerance of about 5 m.

Apparatus and methods for growing films of complex layered metal oxides with high stoichiometries and high crystal qualities are provided. The layered complex metal oxides include two or more metals and oxygen and have a layered structure. The methods, which are referred to as hybrid pulsed laser deposition (hybrid PLD), synergistically combine the advantages of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to grow complex metal oxide films that include metals with very different vapor pressures.

Apparatus and methods for growing films of complex layered metal oxides with high stoichiometries and high crystal qualities are provided. The layered complex metal oxides include two or more metals and oxygen and have a layered structure. The methods, which are referred to as hybrid pulsed laser deposition (hybrid PLD), synergistically combine the advantages of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to grow complex metal oxide films that include metals with very different vapor pressures.

A single crystal yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator has a minimum thickness of at least 5 mm and a transmittance of at least 50% at a wavelength of 370 nm. A method for fabricating the yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator includes acquiring a yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule, annealing the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule in an oxygen containing environment to obtain a partially annealed crystal, and annealing the partially annealed crystal in an inert environment or a reducing environment to obtain the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal scintillator.

A single crystal yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator has a minimum thickness of at least 5 mm and a transmittance of at least 50% at a wavelength of 370 nm. A method for fabricating the yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator includes acquiring a yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule, annealing the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule in an oxygen containing environment to obtain a partially annealed crystal, and annealing the partially annealed crystal in an inert environment or a reducing environment to obtain the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal scintillator.

A single crystal yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator has a minimum thickness of at least 5 mm and a transmittance of at least 50% at a wavelength of 370 nm. A method for fabricating the yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator includes acquiring a yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule, annealing the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule in an oxygen containing environment to obtain a partially annealed crystal, and annealing the partially annealed crystal in an inert environment or a reducing environment to obtain the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal scintillator.

A single crystal yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator has a minimum thickness of at least 5 mm and a transmittance of at least 50% at a wavelength of 370 nm. A method for fabricating the yttrium aluminum perovskite scintillator includes acquiring a yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule, annealing the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal boule in an oxygen containing environment to obtain a partially annealed crystal, and annealing the partially annealed crystal in an inert environment or a reducing environment to obtain the yttrium aluminum perovskite single crystal scintillator.

High-quality membranes of complex oxide and complex nitrides are provided. Also provided are method of making the membranes by releasing films of the complex oxides and nitrides from an epitaxial heterostructure using metal islands on the surface of the films as strain-absorbing supports. The methods facilitate the release of flat, large-area membranes characterized by the absence of, or a very low density of, cracks and/or wrinkles. The released membranes are free of the surface organic residues that are present on membranes released with the aid of a polymer support.

High-quality membranes of complex oxide and complex nitrides are provided. Also provided are method of making the membranes by releasing films of the complex oxides and nitrides from an epitaxial heterostructure using metal islands on the surface of the films as strain-absorbing supports. The methods facilitate the release of flat, large-area membranes characterized by the absence of, or a very low density of, cracks and/or wrinkles. The released membranes are free of the surface organic residues that are present on membranes released with the aid of a polymer support.