Growth of nonlinear optical materials at Alabama A&M University

Photonics/laser related technologies and applications rely on a steady supply of device quality single crystals. For more than a decade, the main focus has been on high performance nonlinear optical materials that comply with device manufacturing and end-use conditions such as high performance, high thermal, mechanical and chemical stability. To this end a variety of organic and semi-organic NLO materials have been successfully synthesized, purified and grown into bulk single crystals. In the process of growing bulk single crystals, various novel techniques and processes have been developed. In this presentation, results of synthesis and crystal growth processing of the various NLO materials such as methyl-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-aminopropionate: 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MAP:MNA), L-arginine phosphate, L-Histidine tetrafluoroborate, L-arginie tetrafluoroborate and other isomorphs, pure and doped Bismuth silicon oxide, pure and doped Lithium niobate crystals will be discussed including challenges faced, novel techniques and experimental set-ups developed in growing large high quality crystals.