Synthetic proustite (Ag3AsS3): A summary of its properties and uses

There is at present great interest in crystals which are suitable for efficient mixing at optical frequencies. Such a crystal should be acentric, have a wide transmission band, have a large non-linear coefficient and permit phase matching. Proustite possesses such properties 1], and this paper summarises the information that has been obtained to date at R R E on these properties and their use in up-converting 10m radiation to the visible, on the available optical quality, on the electro-optic effect, and on electrical conduction in the crystal; some general observations on the type of damage caused to proustite by laser beams are given.