Analysis of various properties of l-alaninium p-toluenesulfonate single crystal for nonlinear optical applications

Abstract

L-alaninium p-toluenesulfonate single crystal is a promising organic nonlinear optical material for second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical limiting applications. In this work, the slow evaporation solution growth technique was employed to grow a good quality single crystal at ambient conditions. The obtained crystal’s structure, unit cell dimensions and phase identification were done by Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and found that it crystallizes in orthorhombic structure with space group P212121 and exhibits non-centrosymmetric nature. Its crystalline purity was characterized by High-Resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) and found highly crystalline with minor grain boundaries. The Hirschfield surface analysis was carried out to identify major interactions. The photopyroelectric (PPE) technique was employed to determine the specific heat capacity (Cp) and thermal conductivity (k) of the grown sample. A low value of inhomogeneity in the birefringence of the titled crystal suggests its better optical quality. Photo-conductivity studies inferred that the titled compound features negative photoconductivity and the currents produced were in nanoscale. Further, the Piezoelectric coefficient (d33) was also measured. The mechanical strength was studied by giving shock waves to the crystals in terms of shock damage threshold (SDT) and by giving static indentations to the crystals in Vickers’s microhardness test. The third-order nonlinear optical properties were studied by Z-scan analysis.