Real-Time Optical Imaging of Transport Phenomena and Surface Structure During Crystal Growth Process, and Optical and X-Ray Techniques for Investigating the Device Relevant Properties of Photonic Crystals

Crystals are driving the current photonics revolution. Material scientists need to have a detailed understanding of how crystals grow, whereas device engineers need crystals of adequate size and quality for the end applications. Growth rate and defect structure of a crystal is a function of the timedependent spatial distribution of the temperature, convection and concentration profiles during crystal growth process, therefore it is important to map these transport processes andunderstand their influence on the growing crystal. The first part of the present article discusses the optical techniques developed and the results obtained during online and in-situ optical imaging of the crystal growth process. Post-growth, the grown crystal is cut and polished along specific directions to obtain the element for use in the desired device. However, before deploying a crystal element for a particular application, it is necessary to assess its optical quality and measure important optical properties. The second part of the article discusses various optical and X-ray techniques developed for investigating the optical properties and defects structure of the crystals.