Thermal Expansion, Grueneisen Parameter, and Temperature Dependence of Lattice Vibration Frequencies of Aluminum Oxide

The linear thermal expansion coefficient of polycrystalline aluminum oxide has been measured in the temperature range from 100 °K to 1 500 °K by an interferometric method. The interferometer used is capable of giving high accuracy over a wide range of temperatures, and is described in some detail. The Grueneisen parameter of aluminum oxide is calculated and found to be 1.35 ± 0.05 over the whole temperature range. There is no significant change, such as might be expected from theory, of the Grueneisen parameter around 0.2 × Debye temperature. Based on the formulae given in an earlier publication, the temperature dependence of lattice vibration frequencies of aluminum oxide is calculated.