Undoped LaAlO3 and Ce-doped LaAlO3 single crystals were grown by the Czochralski process. The segregation coefficient of cerium ions in 1 at% Ce: LaAlO3 is 0.28. The undoped LaAlO3 and Ce-doped LaAlO3 single crystals were characterized by infrared transmission spectra and ultraviolet/visible/near-IR absorption spectra. It was observed that the band-to-band absorption of LaAlO3 host is around 209 nm. Four characteristic f-f transitions of Ce3+ ion at 1923, 2354, 2669, and 3728 cm(-1) and five f-d transitions around 198, 206, 214, 246, and 316 nm in the Ce-doped LaAlO3 crystal were observed. Strong emission around 410 nm was also observed at excitation of 317 nm in the Ce-doped LaAlO3 single crystal. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.