Twins in YAl_3(BO_3)_4 and K_2Al_2B_2O_7 Crystals as Revealed by Changes in Optical Activity
Abstract
Many borate crystals feature nonlinear optical properties that allow for efficient frequency conversion of common lasers down into the ultraviolet spectrum. Twinning may degrade crystal quality and affect nonlinear optical properties, in particular if crystals are composed of twin domains with opposing polarities. Here, we use measurements of optical activity to demonstrate the existence of inversion twins within single crystals of YAl_3(BO_3)_4 (YAB) and K_2 Al_2 B_2 O_7 (KABO). We determine the optical rotatory dispersion of YAB and KABO throughout the visible spectrum using a spectrophotometer with rotatable polarizers. Space-resolved measurements of the optical rotation can be related to the twin structure and give estimates on the extent of twinning. The reported dispersion relations for the rotatory power of YAB and KABO may be used to assess crystal quality and to select twin-free specimens.
Additional Information
© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Received: 7 December 2018; Accepted: 20 December 2018; Published: 22 December 2018. We thank B. Wenzel, M. Meiers, and A. Klintz for sample preparation and optical polishing and S. Ilas, J. Ren, J. Lejay, P. Loiseau, G. Aka, R. Maillard, and A. Maillard for enlightening discussions. K. Dupré provided a low-quartz crystal, and M. Peltz built the He-Ne laser setup for measurements of the optical activity. This research was funded in part by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, grant number 13N11560. The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.Attached Files
Published - crystals-09-00008.pdf
Files
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:5be21d3ecd215e216622811e9093c9f4
|
10.1 MB | Preview Download |
Additional details
- Alternative title
- Twins in YAl3(BO3)4 and K2Al2B2O7 Crystals as Revealed by Changes in Optical Activity
- Eprint ID
- 92482
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20190125-154729551
- 13N11560
- Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie (BMBF)
- Created
-
2019-01-29Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field