Growth of coprus chloride single crystals for optical modulators

Abstract

Single crystals of CuCl have been grown by the vertical Bridgman technique in a flux solvent of KCl. The lower melting point of the CuCl/KCl mixture avoids the solid state wurtzite-zincblende phase transition at 408°C. Flux-grown Bridgman crystals show far less residual strain than crystals grown by other methods. The electro-optic properties of the flux-grown Bridgman crystals are equivalent to those of crystals grown of pure melts of coprous chloride, but have the advantage that they do not exhibit the random birefringence of crystals grown from pure melt.