Controlled growth of polar altermagnets via chemical vapor transport
Altermagnetic properties have been recently proposed in polar magnetic oxides, M$_{2}$Mo$_{3}$O$_{8}$ (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), where improved characteristics of stronger magnetoelectric coupling and higher magnetic transition temperatures were observed. Thus, understanding their microscopic origins is of fundamental and technological importance. However, the difficulty in growing large single crystals hinders detailed experimental studies. Here, we report the successful growth of large single crystals of the pyroelectric antiferromagnet using two representative compounds, Fe$_{2}$Mo$_{3}$O$_{8}$ and NiZnMo$_{3}$O$_{8}$. Growth was optimized using various parameters, finding the transport agent density as a primary factor, which depends strongly on the position of the pellet, the starting powder form, and the volume of the ampule. We demonstrated a controlled growth method by manipulating the convection and diffusion kinetics. High-quality crystals were characterized by using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Laue diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, and Raman spectroscopy. Manipulation of magnetic properties through nonmagnetic Zn doping was shown in NiZnMo$_{3}$O$_{8}$. Our results enable the detailed investigation and manipulation of their unconventional altermagnetic and multiferroic properties. This study provides crucial insight into the controlled growth of other functional quantum materials.