Optical imaging and three dimensional reconstruction of the concentration field around a crystal growing from an aqueous solution: A review

Publication date: December 2012 Source:Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials, Volume 58, Issue 4 Author(s): Atul Srivastava , K. Muralidhar , P.K. Panigrahi Investigation of transport phenomena around a crystal growing from its aqueous solution has been a subject of intensive research over the last few decades. It involves the characterization of convection patterns and an understanding of their influence on the growth mechanisms of a crystal from a fundamental viewpoint. In this context, laser-based measurement techniques have proved to be a useful tool. Optical techniques are ideal for mapping the properties of the solution during a crystal growth experiment because they are non-intrusive and inertia-free. It is possible to generate images of the convective field by exploiting changes in the refractive index that accompany changes in the density of the medium. The recorded images can be interpreted as path integrals in the direction of line-of-sight. Local properties can be subsequently reconstructed by using the principles of tomography. The work reported in the present review article summarizes the principal findings of the authors' previous works on the applications of optical imaging techniques and tomography to determine the three-dimensional distribution of concentration field around a growing crystal and its effects on the overall growth mechanisms. The convective field around the growing crystal from an aqueous supersaturated solution h...

Source: Progress in Crystal Growth and Characterization of Materials - October 12, 2014 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research