VUV Crystal Growth and Characterization

Our project aims to evolve proven technology and build on new concepts to pioneer innovative methods to create and characterize crystals that are transparent in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region. This project strives to optimize VUV crystal growth on Earth, collect data, determine crystal structures for Earth grown crystals, then determine if Phase II should reappraise this in microgravity. Phase I work will produce a crystal growth technique using a magnet to provide magnetic field which will regulate gravity induced flow and improve production of high quality VUV crystals on Earth. We hope to find a way to competitively produce VUV crystals on Earth rather than resolve that there are strategic advantages of growing crystals/master seed crystals in the microgravity environment. Researchers hypothesize that observed benefits of microgravity crystal growth result from uniform strain free movement of molecules into crystalline lattice - microgravity can reduce the effects of gravity-driven convection, strain, sedimentation, and buoyancy that cause defects, impurities, stress, and warping in crystals grown on Earth. ???????