Crystal growth, structure and properties of bismuth triborate BiB3O6 crystal

Abstract

BiB3O6 (BIBO) single crystals with size of 46×23×10 mm3 and weight of 26.0 g have been successfully grown by top-seeded method. Problems encountered in the growth process of this crystal have been discussed in detail, and the methods of growing high-quality large crystals have been put forward. The relationship between their structure and properties is studied. The space group of monoclinic BiB3O6 is C2 and the cell parameters are a=7.1203(7) A, b=4.9948(7) A, c=6.5077(7) A, β=105.586(8)″, and V=222.93(5) A3. The density of BIBO is 4.8965 g/cm3. The Mohs’s scale of hardness is 5.5–6. There is no cleavage face in the crystal. The transmittance of BIBO is about 80 percent in the range from visible coherent light to near-infrared light. The ultraviolet cutoff wavelength is at 276 nm. BiB3O6 is a biaxial crystal and has two sets of axes, and the relative orientation of (X, Y, Z) with regard to (a, b, c) is: X//b, (Y, c)=47.2°, (Z, a)=31.6°, determined by X-ray analysis combined with polarized microscopy. Second-harmonic-generation (SHG) experiments were carried out for the first time. In type I phase-matching (PM) directions (11.1°, 90°) and (168.9°, 90°), SHG conversion efficiencies of two directions for 1.064 μm light are up to 67.7% and 58%, respectively. We have also obtained the third-harmonic-generation (THG) of 1.064 μm. The comparative experiments between BIBO and KTP were carried out on conversion efficiency, transmittance and hardness. All the above results indicate that BiB3O6 is a kind of excellent nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal.