[4] At 300 K, the structure allows the formation of Schottky defects with an activation energy of 0.07 eV, and free flow of fluoride ions with an activation energy of 0.45 eV, making the crystal unusually electrically conductive.

[5][6] The larger sized rare earth elements (lanthanides), which are those with smaller atomic number, also form trifluorides with the LaF3 structure.

This white salt is sometimes used as the "high-index" component in multilayer optical elements such as ultraviolet dichroic and narrowband mirrors.

[9] LaF3 occurs in the nature as the extremely rare mineral fluocerite-(La).

[10][11] The suffix in the name is known as the Levinson modifier and, by showing the dominant element at a particular site in the structure, is used to differentiate from similar minerals (here: fluocerite-(Ce)).