Transparent, colorless 30 mm long, (705 +/- 11) pm diameter CaTa2O6 single crystal fibers with a cubic crystalline structure (Pm3) were grown by the Laser Heated Pedestal Growth technique. The lattice parameter was a = (7.757 +/- 0.002) Angstrom obtained from the Rietveld refinement. The fiber growth direction was determined as [1 0 (1) over bar] by X-ray diffraction. The growth temperature was (2040 +/-100)degreesC and the axial temperature gradient measured at the crystallization interface was (7.5 +/- 1.0) x 10(3) degreesC/cm. The fiber/pedestal-pulling ratio was equal to 1.20. Undoped samples were characterized by optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction patterns, infrared transmission and Raman scattering. The structural and spectroscopic results indicate that this crystal may have potential as a host for active ions such as neodymium and erbium which have interesting emissions in the near-infrared region. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.