GROWTH OF HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY BATIO3 PHOTOREFRACTIVE SINGLE CRYSTALS

THE INTENT OF THE PRESENT PROPOSAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY BATIO3 SINGLE CRYSTALS CAN BE SECURED BY ADAPTING THE HEAT EXCHANGER METHOD (HEM[TM]) OF CRYSTAL GROWTH TO HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLUTION GROWTH. THE PHASE I CRYSTALLIZATIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED FROM A BARIUM BORATE SOLUTION (BAB2O4). BARIUM TITANATE IS KNOWN TO CRYSTALLIZE FROM THIS SOLUTION. THE MINIMUM TEMPERATURE AVAILABLE WITH THIS FLUX IS 942 DEG CENTIGRADE. THE LARGE TEMPERATURE RANGE OF THIS FLUX SYSTEM AND THE EASE WITH WHICH FOREIGN IONS MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO BATIO3 SUCH THAT THE MATERIAL PARAMETERS EFFECTIVE IN PHASE CONJUGATION (PC) AND FOUR WAVE MIXING (FWM) CAN BE STUDIED. THE PROPOSED APPROACH WILL ALLOW PRODUCTION OF MUCH LARGER CRYSTALS WITH THE REQUIRED OPTICAL QUALITY THAN THOSE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THE ADAPTATION OF HEM CRYSTAL GROWTH TO HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLUTION GROWTH IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PROCESS CONTROL FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY SINGLE CRYSTALS: AN ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT FOR PC AND FWM REGARDLESS OF THE MATERIAL'S FUNDAMENTAL CONSTANTS.