Phase matching, X-Ray topography, optical and thermal analysis of L-alanine cadmium chloride monohydrate: a nonlinear optical material

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Vol. 114; no. 4; pp. 1257 - 1265
• Main Authors: Krishna, Anuj, Vijayan, N., Riscob, B., Gour, B. S., Haranath, D., Philip, J., Verma, S., Jayalakshmy, M. S., Bhagavannarayana, G., Halder, S. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-03-2014
• Subjects: Cadmium chlorides; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Crystal lattices; Diffraction; Etching; Machines; Manufacturing; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Optical materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Piezoelectricity; Processes; Single crystals; Surfaces and Interfaces; Thin Films; X-ray topography; Crystalline Perfection; Grown Crystal; Thermal Effusivity; Lithium Niobate
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-013-7902-1

A potential semiorganic nonlinear optical material, L-alanine cadmium chloride monohydrate has been successfully synthesised and single crystals have been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique at room temperature by using double distilled water as the solvent. The lattice dimensions of the grown crystal have been analysed by adopting powder X-ray diffraction technique and found that it crystallised in monoclinic system with space group C2. The crystalline perfection of the as-grown crystal has been assessed by high resolution X-ray diffraction and X-ray topography techniques and observed that the quality of the grown specimen is reasonably good. Its optical properties were examined by UV–Vis and photoluminescence techniques and found that there is no absorption in the entire visible range. Its functional groups were identified from FT-Raman and observed that there is no incorporation of other impurities during crystallisation. Its relative second harmonic generation efficiency has been tested with different particle size by Kurtz powder technique and found that within the coherence length the title compound is phase matchable. Its various thermal properties like thermal conductivity, specific heat, thermal effusivity, etc. have been evaluated by photopyroelectric technique and compared with other organic and inorganic materials. To confirm its piezoelectric response, its piezoelectric charge coefficient was measured using piezometer and found low. Its optical homogeneity as well as birefringence measurement of the grown specimen has been carried out by interferometric technique. The surface defects of the grown LACCM single crystal were analysed with etching at room temperature using water as an etchant.