Periodic poling of magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate grown by the top-seeded solution method

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Vol. 72; no. 3; pp. 301 - 306
• Main Authors: HUANG, L, HUI, D, BAMFORD, D. J, FIELD, S. J, MNUSHKINA, I, MYERS, L. E, KAYSER, J. V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-02-2001
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Damage; Deoxidizing; Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Dispersions; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Lithium niobates; Melts; Niobates, titanates, tantalates, pzt ceramics, etc; Nonlinear optical crystals; Nonlinear optics; Optical materials; Optical Parametric Oscillators; Optical parametric oscillators and amplifiers; Optics; Physics; Crystal growth; Temperature dependence; Photorefractive effect; Non linear material; Laser pumping; Ternary compounds; Doped materials; Experimental study; Poled materials; Optical parametric oscillators; Lithium niobates; Magnesium oxides; Optical materials; Nonlinear optics; Radiation damage
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s003400100493

Magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate has been produced using the technique of top-seeded solution growth from a lithium-rich melt. Optical tests, performed with a combination of argon-ion laser lines, have confirmed a previously published result (at 532 nm) that this material has superior resistance to photorefractive damage. This material has been shown, for the first time, to be amenable to periodic poling. Optical parametric oscillator tests have shown that this material maintains the advantages of periodically poled, congruent, un-doped lithium niobate while showing no evidence of photorefractive damage under typical operating conditions. Operating wavelengths as a function of quasi-phase-matching period and temperature have been measured for the optical parametric oscillator, providing useful new information about refractive-index dispersion in this material. This work establishes periodically poled, magnesium-oxide-doped stoichiometric lithium niobate as a viable material for nonlinear optics.