Synthesis, growth and characterization of a new derivative 4-ethoxy-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium besylate monohydrate single crystal

A new organic material 4-ethoxy-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium besylate monohydrate, a derivative in the stilbazolium family, known for efficient nonlinear optical materials, has been synthesized for the first time. Employing the slow evaporation technique, optically transparent good quality single crystals of size 15 mm×10 mm×5 mm were grown from methanol. The cell dimensions obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies reveal that the crystal belongs to the monoclinic system. Functional groups of the grown crystal were identified from FTIR and NMR spectral analysis. UV−vis−NIR studies show that the crystal is transparent in the wavelength range 460-1100 nm. The thermal stability of the compound was determined by thermal analyses of the specimen.     

Synthesis,growth and characterization of non-linear optical material: l-Tryptophan p-nitrophenol (LTPNP) single crystal

A new nonlinear optical organic crystal l-tryptophan p-nitrophenol (LTPNP) of dimension 19 mm × 2 mm × 1.5 mm has been grown from an aqueous solution for the first time by slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. The crystal structure of LTPNP was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. LTPNP crystallizes in non-centrosymmetric monoclinic system with space group P₂₁. The recorded FTIR spectrum confirms the presence of various functional groups in the grown crystal and confirms the formation of LTPNP. Thermal stability and melting temperature of the LTPNP crystal were identified from TG/DTA analysis. The optical absorption study confirms the suitability of the crystal for device applications. LTPNP exhibits SHG efficiency over 1.7 orders of magnitude higher than that of urea and 4 orders of magnitude higher than that of KDP.     

Synthesis,crystal growth and characterization of organic NLO material: 4-Bromo-4′-hydroxybenzylidene aniline

One of the novel benzylidene aniline derivatives, 4-bromo-4′-hydroxybenzylidene aniline (BHBA) was synthesized and single crystal of BHBA was grown from solution following slow evaporation method at room temperature. Unit cell parameters of the grown crystal were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Functional groups of BHBA were identified from Fourier transform infrared spectral study. UV–vis-NIR analysis of BHBA showed that the crystal is transparent between wavelengths 400 and 1100 nm. Thermal stability of the title compound was examined by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric studies. Fluorescence spectrum of the grown crystal recorded using spectrofluorometer shows emission peak at 450 nm. The second harmonic generation efficiency of BHBA estimated by Nd:YAG pulsed laser employing the Kurtz powder technique is ∼1.3 times that of potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate. Microhardness studies reveal that BHBA possesses high Vickers hardness value. The dielectric measurements were carried out at different temperatures and frequencies and the results are discussed.     

Thermal, optical, mechanical and dielectric properties of nonlinear optical crystal 4-methoxy benzaldehyde-N-methyl 4-stilbazolium tosylate

We have grown organic nonlinear optical 4-methoxy benzaldehyde-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium tosylate (MBST) crystals by slow evaporation technique. The grown crystals were analyzed by powder XRD, FTIR, NMR, UV, Thermal, mechanical and dielectric measurements. Lattice parameters and crystallinity of the crystal is confirmed by the XRD studies. The FTIR and NMR studies give the details about the various functional groups present. In order to study the optical quality of the crystal, the UV-vis absorption spectrum was recorded and cut-off wavelength was determined. Melting point of the crystal is found from the differential scanning calorimetry. The powder SHG studies were done with the Kurtz powder technique and the NLO efficiency is 17.2 times greater than that of urea. The surface of the grown crystal was analyzed with etching. Laser damage threshold studies have been carried out for the crystal using a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser of 10 ns pulses.     

Crystal growth,structural and optical properties of an organic ion-complex crystal: 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methylstilbazolium iodide

4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methylstilbazolium iodide (DMSI) compound was synthesized by Knoevenagel reaction method and the crystals were grown by solution growth method. From the single crystal X-ray diffraction study, it is confirmed that DMSI crystal belongs to monoclinic system. The bond-length alternation (BLA) of the DMSI molecule was found to be 0.11 Å, which is responsible for quadratic NLO response. The electronic transition properties and optical constants such as energy gap (E_g), linear refractive index (n₁) were determined using UV–visible and photoluminescence spectral studies. The second order nonlinear optical property of the crystal was examined using Kurtz–Perry powder test. Laser induced damage threshold on (0 0 1) plane of the optically polished crystal was found to be 1.24 GW/cm².     

Growth, structural and optical studies on amino acid based new GSB crystals having non-linear optical characteristics

Transparent crystals of α-glycine with sodium nitrate and barium nitrate (GSB) have been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. Crystals of size 11 × 7 × 4 mm³ have been obtained in 3-4 weeks time. The solubility of GSB has been determined in water. The grown crystal belongs to orthorhombic system with cell parameters a = 4.684 a.u., b = 12.184 a.u. and c = 10.969 a.u. with unit cell volume of 625.99 (a.u.)³. Comparative IR and Raman studies indicate a molecule with a lack of centre of symmetry. A wide transparency window useful for optoelectronic applications is indicated by the UV studies. Using Nd-YAG laser (1064 nm), the optical second harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiency of GSB is found to be 0.648 times that of standard KDP. On exposure to light the GSB crystals exhibit positive photoconductivity. I-V characteristics, dielectrics studies and Vickers micro hardness measurement have been carried out. The GSB crystal exhibits more mechanical strength compared to the reported GSN crystals.     

Third order nonlinear optical properties of potassium dichromate single crystals by Z-scan technique

Single crystal of potassium dichromate (KDC) has been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique. The lattice parameters of the grown crystal were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The optical absorption studies reveal that the crystal has UV cut-off wavelength around 240 nm. Thermo gravimetric and differential thermal (TGA/DTA) studies revealed that the crystal thermally stable up to 397.1 °C. The mechanical strength of the grown crystal was carried out by Vickers micro hardness test. The crystal perfection was confirmed by etching studies. Third order nonlinear optical studies was performed using by single beam Z-scan technique using continuous Nd:YAG laser. Closed aperture Z-scan studies reveal the negative nonlinearity in the crystals and open aperture Z-scan reveals the saturation absorption. Also various parameters such as nonlinear refractive index n₂, absorption co-efficient β and nonlinear optical susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ were calculated for the grown crystal.     

Laser frequency stabilization at 1.5 microns using ultranarrow inhomogeneous absorption profiles in Er:LiYF4

Single-frequency diode lasers have been frequency stabilized to 1.5 kHz Allan deviation over 0.05-50 s integration times, with laser frequency drift reduced to less than 1.4 kHz/min, using the frequency reference provided by an ultranarrow inhomogeneously broadened Er³⁺:⁴I_15/2→⁴I_13/2 optical absorption transition at a vacuum wavelength of 1530.40 nm in a low-strain LiYF₄ crystal. The 130 MHz full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) inhomogeneous line width of this reference transition is the narrowest reported for a solid at 1.5 μm. Strain-induced inhomogeneous broadening was reduced by using the single isotope ⁷Li and by the very similar radii of Er³⁺ and the Y³⁺ ions for which it substitutes. To show the practicability of cryogen-free cooling, this laser stability was obtained with the reference crystal at 5 K; moreover, this performance did not require vibrational isolation of either the laser or crystal frequency reference. Stabilization is feasible up to T=25 K where the Er³⁺ absorption thermally broadens to ∼500 MHz. This stabilized laser system provides a tool for interferometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, real-time optical signal processing based on spatial spectral holography and accumulated photon echoes, secondary frequency standards, and other applications such as quantum information science requiring narrow-band light sources or coherent detection.     

Studies on the optical and mechanical properties of organic nonlinear optical 1-(4-fluorostyryl)-4-nitrostilbene (FNS) single crystal

A new organic nonlinear optical material 1-(4-fluorostyryl)-4-nitrostilbene (FNS) has been synthesized and single crystals of FNS were grown using solvent evaporation solution growth technique (SESGT) by 2-butanon solvent. Single crystal x-ray diffraction analysis reveals the unit cell parameters of the grown crystal are a = 9.494(4) Å, b = 9.864(2) Å, c = 19.501(7) Å and it belongs to monoclinic system with noncentrosymmetric space group. Optical transmittance of the grown crystal has been studied by UV-Vis-NIR spectrum. The optical properties of FNS have been studied by means of optical transmittance measurements in the wavelength range of 190–1100 nm The optical constants were calculated from the optical transmittance (T) data such as refractive index (n), extinction coefficient (k) and reflectance (R). The optical band gap (E_g) of FNS is 3.27 eV with direct transition. The complex dielectric (?) constant of the grown FNS crystal was determined. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the grown FNS crystal has been studied by using Kurtz-Perry powder technique and it shows 12 times relatively greater than KDP.     

Highly efficient Nd:GdVO4/BiBO laser at 456 nm under direct 880 nm diode laser pumping

The continuous-wave high-efficiency laser emission of Nd:GdVO₄ at the second-harmonic of 456 nm obtained by intracavity frequency doubling with an BiB₃O₆(BiBO) nonlinear crystal is investigated under pumping by diode laser at 880 nm into emitting level ⁴F_3/2. About 3.8 W at 456 nm with M² = 1.4 was obtained from a 5 mm-thick 0.4 at.% Nd:GdVO₄ laser medium and a 12 mm-long BiBO nonlinear crystal in a Z-type cavity for 13.9 W absorbed pump power. An optical-to-optical efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power was 0.274. Comparative results obtained for the pump with diode laser at 808 nm, into the highly-absorbing ⁴F_5/2 level, are given in order to prove the advantages of the 880 nm wavelength pumping.     

Determination of the refractive index over a wide wavelength range through time-delay measurements of femtosecond pulses

We present a simple method to measure the refractive index dispersion over a broad wavelength range (0.6-1.6 μm). In a first step, the optical group indices are obtained by measuring the time-retardation of tunable 150 fs laser pulses within a sample relative to air. The refractive index dispersion is then calculated using a Sellmeier equation that describes the measured group index dispersion. We show that our experimental data agree with previously published results to within 2 × 10⁻⁴ for a 3 mm thick sample of fused silica and to within 3 × 10⁻³ for the index n₁ of a 2 mm thick crystal of the highly dispersive and anisotropic organic crystal 4-N,N-dimethylamino-4′-N′-methyl stilbazolium tosylate (DAST).     

Diode-pumped passively Q-switched 912 nm Nd:GdVO4 laser and pulsed deep-blue laser by intracavity frequency-doubling

A diode-end-pumped passively Q-switched 912 nm Nd:GdVO₄/Cr⁴⁺:YAG laser and its efficient intracavity frequency-doubling to 456 nm deep-blue laser were demonstrated in this paper. Using a simple V-type laser cavity, pulsed 912 nm laser characteristics were investigated with two kinds of Cr⁴⁺:YAG crystal as the saturable absorbers, which have the different initial transmissivity (T_U) of 95% and 90% at 912 nm. When the T_U = 95% Cr⁴⁺:YAG was used, as much as an average output power of 2.8 W 912 nm laser was achieved at an absorbed pump power of 34.0 W, and the pulse width and the repetition rate were ∼ 40.5 ns and ∼ 76.6 kHz, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest average output power of diode-pumped passively Q-switched Nd³⁺-doped quasi-three-level laser. Employing a BiBO as the frequency-doubling crystal, 456 nm pulsed deep-blue laser was obtained with a maximum average output power of 1.2 W at a repetition rate ∼ 42.7 kHz.     

Generation of 532 nm laser radiation and phase matching properties of organic nonlinear optical material

Organic nonlinear optical single crystal of l-asparagine-l-tartaric acid (LAsT) was grown by slow evaporation technique at room temperature. The grown crystal was confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction and FT-IR studies. The direct band gap energy was found to be 5.4 eV. The SHG efficiency of the sample is 3 times higher than that of KDP crystal. The laser damage threshold of the grown crystal was 5.7 GW/cm². The grown crystal was thermally stable up to 141 °C. Low dielectric constant at higher frequency was found by dielectric measurements. The activation energy was calculated from Arrhenius relation and it was found to be 0.088 eV. Negative photoconducting nature was obtained by photoconductivity measurements.     

Nonlinear optical studies of 1-3-diaryl-propenones containing 4-methylthiophenyl moieties

The third-order nonlinear optical properties of chalcone derivatives have been studied using the single beam Z-scan technique. The dependence of χ⁽³⁾ on different donor and acceptor type substituents demonstrates the electronic nonlinearity of compounds. The largest value of nonlinear refractive index, n₂, measured for a high electron donor substituted molecule is −2.033 × 10⁻¹¹ esu. These molecules exhibit a strong two-photon absorption and interesting optical limiting of nanosecond laser pulses at 532 nm.     

High-efficiency direct-pumped Nd:YVO4-LBO laser operating at 671 nm

The continuous-wave high-efficiency laser emission from Nd:YVO₄ at the fundamental wavelength of 1342 nm and its 671 nm second harmonic obtained by intra-cavity frequency doubling in an LBO nonlinear crystal are investigated under pumping by diode laser at 880 nm (on the ⁴F_3/2→⁴I_13/2 transition). The end-pumped Nd:YVO₄ crystal yielded a continuous-wave output power of 9.6 W at 1342 nm for 18.9 W of absorbed pump power. The slope efficiency measured with respect to the absorbed pump power is 60%. An output of 5.5 W at 671 nm was obtained by frequency doubling, resulting in an optical-to-optical efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power of 29%. Comparative results obtained for the pump with a diode laser at 808 nm (on the ⁴F_5/2→⁴I_13/2 transition) are given in order to prove the advantages of the 880 nm wavelength pumping.     

Optical, thermal, dielectric and ferroelectric behaviour of sodium acid phthalate (SAP) single crystals

Sodium acid phthalate (SAP), an efficient semi-organic crystal having dimensions 17×8×2 mm³ has been grown from aqueous solution by slow evaporation technique at room temperature within the period of 2 weeks. The lattice parameters of the grown crystals were determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The presence of functional groups was estimated qualitatively by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The band gap energy was determined using optical absorption studies. The TG/DTA analysis reveals that the SAP crystal is thermally stable up to 141.6 °C. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss was studied as a function of frequency and the corresponding activation energy (E_a) has been calculated for the grown crystal. Scanning electron microscope studies enunciate the ferroelectric domain patterns of the SAP crystal. Ferroelectric property of the grown crystal was confirmed by hysteresis loop studies.     

Synthesis, growth and characterization of novel second harmonic nonlinear chalcone crystal

Nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are useful in many of the industrial applications. New NLO chalcone derivative (2E)-3-[4-(methylsulfanyl)phenyl]-1-(4-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one (4N4MSP) crystals have been grown by slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. The grown crystals were subjected to single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The crystal has noncentrosymmetric structure in the orthorhombic system with space group Aba2 and unit cell parameters a=14.0647(15) Å, b=33.738(4) Å and c=6.0039(6) Å. To confirm the presence of various functional groups in the compound, FT-IR spectrum was recorded. The crystal was subjected to TGA/DTA analysis to find its thermal stability. The grown crystals were characterized for their optical transmission and mechanical hardness. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the crystal is obtained by classical powdered technique using Nd:YAG laser and its value is 28.57 times that of urea. The laser damage threshold for 4N4MSP crystal was determined using Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. The refractive index values for green and red wavelengths were measured by Brewster angle technique. The dielectric and electrical measurements were carried out to study the different polarization mechanism and conductivity of the crystal. Good thermal, mechanical, transmission and SHG response make it desirable for the NLO applications.     

Synthesis and investigation of nonlinear optical properties of semiconductor ZnS nanoparticles

ZnS nanoparticles were prepared by a simple chemical method and using PVP (poly vinylpyrrolidone) as capping agent. The sample was characterized by UV-vis spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Z-scan technique. XRD pattern showed that the ZnS nanoparticles had zinc blende structure with an average size of about 2.18 nm. The value of band gap of these nanoparticles was measured to be 4.20 eV. The nonlinear optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles in aqueous solution were studied by Z-scan technique using CW He-Ne laser at 632.8 nm. The nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) was estimated to be as high as 3.2×10⁻³ cm/W and the nonlinear refractive index (n₂) was in order of 10⁻⁸ cm²/W. The sign of the nonlinear refractive index obtained negative that indicated this material exhibits self-defocusing optical nonlinearity.     

Optical and gas sensing properties of thick TiO2 films grown by laser deposition

In this work the optical and the gas sensing properties of thick TiO₂ waveguide films, produced by pulsed laser deposition, were investigated by m-line spectroscopy. The films were deposited on (0 0 1) SiO₂ substrates at temperature of 100 °C. The thickness of the films was measured to be in the range from 650 to 1900 nm and the roughness increases from 5 to 14.6 nm. High quality mode spectra, consisted of thin and bright TE and TM modes, were observed in the films with thickness up to 1200 nm. All the films revealed anisotropic optical properties. Gas sensitivity of the films to CO₂ was examined at room temperature on the basis of the variations of the refractive index. CO₂ concentration of 3 × 10⁴ ppm was detected, which corresponds to a refractive index variation of about 1 × 10⁻⁴. The crystal structure and the optical transmittance of the films were also presented and discussed.     

Combined laser/sol-gel synthesis of calcium silicate coating on Ti-6Al-4V substrates for improved cell integration

New studies have shown that tricalcium silicate powder is a bioactive material and can encourage bone-implant integration. This paper reports the synthesis of Ca₂SiO₄ coating on Ti-6Al-4V samples by laser irradiation under submerged conditions. The results of using a 160-1500 LDL 1.5 kW diode laser (rectangular spot = 2.5 mm × 3.5 mm, λ = 808 and 940 nm with equal intensities) is reported. A number of experiments were carried out varying laser parameters, such as scanning speed and laser power. Coatings are evaluated in terms of microstructure, elemental composition (XRD), SEM and wettability. The in vitro biocompatibility of the samples is investigated by monitoring 2T3 osteoblast cell growth on the samples.