Single crystal of compound, laser rod, laser oscillator, scintillator,

Abstract

A single crystal of a compound comprises a single crystal of a compound at least part of components is of the above mentioned material decomposed at a temperature around the melting point, having a volume of 5 cc or more, and deviation of respective elements in a composition of the single crystal from the stoichiometric composition is within the range of .+-.5%. Also, a process for preparing a single crystal of a compound comprises the steps of deaerating and sealing powder of a starting material for the single crystal in a sealable capsule, sintering the powder by subjecting to heat treatment (HIP treatment) at a temperature 1/2 or higher of the melting point in terms of the absolute temperature while applying high pressure to a sealed material of the powder, deaerating and sealing the sintered body in a sealable capsule made of a similar high melting point substance and having an inner shape corresponding to the shape of the sintered body, and preparing a single crystal by subjecting a sealed material of the sintered body to heat treatment at a temperature of the melting point of the starting material of the single crystal under pressure. As the single crystal of a compound, high quality single crystals with a large size such as RE.sub.2 O.sub.2 S or REVO.sub.4 (RE is a rare earth element) can be obtained.