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  Islam, A. T. M. N.; Pieper, O.; Lake, B.; Siemensmeyer, K.: Unconventional Growth Mechanism in Optical Traveling Solvent Floating Zone Growth of Large β-CuNb₂O₆ Single Crystals. Crystal Growth & Design 11 (2011), p. 154-157

10.1021/cg1010709

Abstract:
A large single crystal (5 mm × 4 mm × 15 mm) of CuNb2O6 has been grown in a four-mirror-type optical floating-zone furnace by the traveling solvent floating zone (TSFZ) method using a composition having excess CuO as flux. The as-grown single crystal was found to be phase-pure orthorhombic β-CuNb2O6, excellent in quality and with a spontaneous growth direction along the crystallographic b-axis. A novel growth mechanism as observed for β-CuNb2O6 in the floating-zone machine is illustrated, and characteristics of the magnetic susceptibility and magnetization along different crystallographic axes are also shown.