Title

Improved second-harmonic generation by selective Yb ion doping in a new nonlinear optical crystal YCa4O(BO3)(3)

Authors

Authors

W. K. Jang; Q. Ye; D. Hammons; J. Eichenholz; J. H. Lim; M. Richardson; B. H. T. Chai;E. W. Van Stryland

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

Keywords

frequency conversion; nonlinear optical materials; nonlinear optics; rare-earth-doped materials; second-harmonic generation; YCa4O(BO3)(3).; EFFICIENT 2ND-HARMONIC GENERATION; LASER-RADIATION; FREQUENCY; KTP; CA4GDO(BO3)(3); CONVERSION; LIB3O5; GROWTH; KDP; ND; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic; Optics; Physics, Applied

Abstract

We describe experiments characterizing a new nonlinear optical crystal, YCa4O(BO3)(3) (YCOB). This crystal has a number of advantages over other commonly available nonlinear optical crystals, It has a higher nonlinear coefficient than KDP, can be fabricated to large sizes (similar to 3-in diameter, 8-in length), and has a high damage threshold. Moreover, this new nonlinear optical crystal is nonhygroscopic, has good optical quality and mechanical properties, allowing easy optical polishing. This crystal, YCa4O(BO3)(3), commonly termed YCOB, is one of a family of new nonlinear crystals, the oxyborates, that include RECa4O(BO3)(3) (RE=La3+, Lu3+, Y3+, Sm3+, Gd3+, Er3+, and Nd3+). In this paper, we also successfully demonstrate a technique for improving the nonlinear optical properties of this crystal. This technique, ion subsitution, has hetertofore had limited success with other crystal hosts. However, the inclusion of yttrium in YCOB provides the opportunity to exploit this technique. Yb3+, which has larger mass, but approximately the same atomic size as Y3+,can be substituted into the crystal structure without introducing stress and nonuniformities, A systematic investigation of the linear and nonlinear characteristics of several crystals doped with various levels of Yb demonstrate that selective substitution of Yb in YCa4O(BO3)(3) improves the second-harmonic conversion efficiency by increasing the optical nonlinearity.

Journal Title

Ieee Journal of Quantum Electronics

Volume

35

Issue/Number

12

Publication Date

1-1-1999

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

1826

Last Page

1833

WOS Identifier

WOS:000084080800011

ISSN

0018-9197

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