Abstract
A series of Hf:Yb:Nd:LiNbO3 crystals with different [Li]/[Nb] ratios (0.946, 1.05, 1.20, and 1.38) were grown using the Czochralski method. X-ray diffraction phase results of the samples show that the LiNbO3 doped Hf4+, Yb3+, and Nd3+ only have a slight change in the lattice constant. The birefringence gradient of the HfYbNd4 sample measured using the birefringence gradient method was 3.3 × 10−5 ∆R/cm−1, which was the best optical uniformity. The optical damage resistance ability was measured using the light-induced scattering exposure energy flus threshold method. When the [Li]/[Nb] ratios in the melt achieve 1.38, the exposure energy achieves 120.74 J/cm2, which is approximately 87 times higher than HfYbNd1.
Highlights
Lithium niobate crystal is an optically functional material that combines the advantages of piezoelectric, acousto-optic, photorefractive, and nonlinear properties [1,2,3]
Using the Czochralski method to produce a series of Hf (2 mol %):Yb (1 mol %): Nd (1 mol %):LiNbO3 crystals with different [Li]/[Nb] ratios, Li2 CO3, Nb2 O5, HfO2, Yb2 O3, and Nd2 O3 with the purity of 99.99% were used as raw materials
Exposure energy of Hf:Yb:Nd:LiNbO3 crystal is increased by two orders of magnitude via increasing the concentration of Li+, which further leads to the improvement of the optical damage resistance of Hf:Yb:Nd:LiNbO3 crystal
Summary
Lithium niobate crystal is an optically functional material that combines the advantages of piezoelectric, acousto-optic, photorefractive, and nonlinear properties [1,2,3]. Many methods have been used to improve the optical properties of crystals, in which doping anti-photorefractive ions are the most promising method [4]. It was demonstrated that anti-photorefractive ions, such as Mg, Sc, and In, can significantly improve the optical damage resistance of LiNbO3 [5,6,7,8]. Zhen et al reported that In3+ -doped Nd:LiNbO3 can significantly improve the optical damage resistance [9]. Some scholars discovered that the optical damage resistance properties of Er3+ -doped Sc:LiNbO3 have been unexpectedly improved [10]. There are many places worth investigating to improve the optical damage resistance by doping with ions. The optical homogeneity and light-induced scattering of the samples were measured using the birefringence gradient method and light-induced scattering exposure energy flux threshold method, respectively
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