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CaYIIIS4 (III = Ga, In): Two Olivine-Type Compounds Exhibiting Exceptional Birefringence Properties
Chengbo Li1, Haipeng Zhou1,2, Yuxue Chen1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Functional Crystals and Devices, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201899, China.
None:
Birefringent crystals capable of modulating light polarization represent a frontier of the current research. While numerous oxide crystals are well-established for UV and visible applications, their counterparts operating effectively in the infrared spectral region remain scarce. Here, two novel olivine-type sulfides, CaYIIIS4 (III = Ga, In), have been successfully synthesized, crystallizing in the orthorhombic Pnma space group. Their structure comprises a three-dimensional [CaYS10] framework formed by interconnected CaS6 and YS6 octahedra, with GaS4/InS4 tetrahedra embedded within the network. Characterization reveals that these compounds exhibit wide band gaps (3.2 and 2.9 eV), broad optical transmission extending to ∼ 20 μm, and significant birefringence (0.16 at 532 nm), establishing their promise as infrared birefringent crystals. Structure-property analysis demonstrates that distorted structural motifs and mixed-dimensional architectures synergistically enhance material birefringence. These studies will facilitate the exploration of new IR birefringent crystals.
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