Growth of trigonal gadolinium fluoride in a glass-ceramic for scintillation and optical applications

This work determines the X-ray powder diffraction peak positions for trigonal GdF₃ experimentally and using simulation. An oxyfluoride matrix glass-ceramic containing the inorganic compound GdF₃ was synthesised by quench casting followed by controlled heat treatment. X-ray diffraction analysis was used to confirm the amorphous nature of the as-cast glass, and to identify the compounds crystallised in the glass-ceramic by heat treatment. A simulated powder diffraction pattern for trigonal GdF₃ was calculated and used to confirm the identity of the compound crystallised in the glass-ceramic as being trigonal GdF₃. Rietveld refinement of the structural model was performed using the measured diffraction pattern to accurately determine the unit cell parameters and asymmetric atomic coordinates. A simulated powder diffraction pattern was then calculated for trigonal GdF₃ using the refined structural parameters.