Origin of color centers in the flux-grown europium gallium garnet

Europium gallium garnet (EuGG) single crystals were grown from fluxes with various contents. Optical absorption spectra of EuGG grown from a flux containing calcium show an additional band in the ultraviolet and blue regions of the spectra as compared to the case of a calcium-free flux. Mössbauer spectra of the samples grown from the fluxes with different additives show no signs of other valence states of the europium ions except for 3+. However, they indicate changes in the crystal field due to the entrance of additive ions. The nature of the additional absorption must be the same as that for calcium-doped gadolinium gallium garnet, i.e., anion vacancies. Mössbauer isotope shifts and quadrupole splitting for EuGG are determined.