Bulk Single-Crystal Growth of LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3 (LLNbO) and Ionic Conduction Properties

Bulk single crystals of perovskite LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3 were grown by the directional solidification method, and their ionic conductivity characteristics were examined. As a result, bulk single crystals of LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3 with x-values ranging from 0.05 to 0.15, 20 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length, were successfully grown at a growth rate of less than 0.8 mm/h. The single crystals were found to grow with the c-axis inclined at approximately 18° to the crystal growth direction. The ionic conductivities in the [100] and [010] directions were found to be approximately 10 times larger than those in the [001] direction, with a value of 3.6 × 10–4 S cm−1 for LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3 with an x-value of 0.08.