SINGLE CRYSTAL GROWTH OPTIMIZATION OF MGNESIUM DOPED LITHIUM NIOBATE

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTRO-OPTIC CRYSTALS IS LITHIUM NIOBATE. IT IS PRESENTLY BEING USED FOR ELECTRO-OPTIC Q-SWITCHES, HARMONIC GENERATORS, ACOUSTO-OPTIC DEVICES, TRANSDUCERS, MODULATORS, OPTICAL PARAMETRIC OSCILLATORS AND AMPLIFIERS, OPTICAL STORAGE DEVICES AND OPTICAL BISTABLE DEVICES. THE OPTICAL QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL USED IN THESE DEVICES IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. HOWEVER, ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS MATERIAL IS OPTICALLY INDUCED REFRACTIVE INDEX INHOMOGENEITIES. THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED OPTICAL QUALITY LITHIUM NIOBATE MATERIAL WHICH DOES NOT EXPERIENCE OPTICALLY INDUCED REFRACTIVE INDEX INHOMOGENEITIES. THIS IS ACHIEVED BY DOPING THE CRYSTAL WITH ABOUT 5% MAGNESIUM OXIDE. OUR PROGRAM OBJECTIVE IS TO OPTIMIZE THE GROWTH TECHNIQUES SO THAT THE OPTICAL LOSSES IN THE MATERIAL DUE TO SCATTERING AND ABSORPTION ARE MINIMIZED. DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PHASE I PROGRAM WE WILL DEVELOP TECHNIQUES TO ACCURATELY MEASURE THE SCATTERING LOSSES OF CRYSTAL SAMPLES AND MAKE SCATTERING LOSS MEASUREMENTS ON A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF CRYSTALS. WE WILL ALSO DEVELOP A DESIGN FOR ACCURATELY MEASURING ABSORPTION LOSSES IN CRYSTALS AND DEVELOP A CRYSTAL GROWTH PLAN FOR SYSTEMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTALS.