Thermodynamic reactivity, growth and characterization of mercurous halide crystals
Thermodynamic calculations were carried out for the Hg-X-O system (X = Cl, Br, I) to identify the potential sources of contamination and relative stability of oxides and oxy-halide phases. The effect of excess mercury vapor pressure on the optical quality of mercurous halide crystal was studied by growing several mercurous chloride crystals from mercury-rich composition. The optical quality of crystals was examined by birefringence interferometry and laser scattering studies. Crystals grown in slightly mercury-rich composition showed improved optical quality relative to stoichiometric crystals.