SHG Materials SnGa4Q7 (Q = S, Se) Appearing with Large Conversion Efficiencies, High Damage Thresholds, and Wide Transparencies in the Mid-Infrared Region

Abstract

Two new ternary noncentrosymmetric (NCS) isostructural compounds, SnGa4S7 (1) and SnGa4Se7 (2), have been synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. Both compounds crystallize in the monoclinic polar space group Pc (7), and their three-dimensional (3D) frameworks are assembled from [SnQ4] tetragonal pyramids and tetranuclear [Ga4Q11] units. The two crystals show large second harmonic generation (SHG) conversion efficiencies, high laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDTs), and wide transparent regions in the mid-infrared (MIR) zone. Compound 2 exhibits the largest SHG conversion efficiency among type-I phase-matchable chalcogenides of about 3.8 × AgGaS2 at 2.05 μm radiation and a high LIDT of 4.6 × AgGaS2. Theoretical studies elucidate that the stereochemically active lone-pair (SCALP) electrons of Sn2+ can significantly improve the polarity of the [SnQ4] unit. Large nonlinear optical (NLO) responses for 1 and 2 originate from the covalent interactions of Sn–Q and the cooperative effects ...