Chinese scientists create a new type of nonlinear optical crystal that can efficiently achieve laser frequency conversion range | Laser | China
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 15 The reporter learned from the press conference held by the Chinese Academy of Sciences on July 14 that Chinese scientists have successfully created a new type of nonlinear optical crystal, which can efficiently expand the tunable range of lasers, and has broad application prospects in semiconductor wafer detection and other fields. The relevant achievements have been published online in the international academic journal Nature Photonics.
GFB crystal devices.
Laser light sources have become an important support for high-tech industries, cutting-edge scientific research, and other fields. To meet the needs of different application scenarios, humans need to obtain lasers with different wavelengths and energies. However, the output wavelength of the laser is fixed and the control range is limited, which requires the use of nonlinear optical crystals.
![Chinese scientists create a new type of nonlinear optical crystal that can efficiently achieve laser frequency conversion range | Laser | China](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/6c955576c4af3f27d663f881244b8c9c.jpg)
"Nonlinear optical crystals can be used to convert the laser wavelength, so as to expand the tunable range of the laser, which is the material condition and source for obtaining lasers of different wavelengths." The first author of the article, Miritin Motellip, a researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Physics and Chemistry Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that the phase matching of applied wavebands in crystals can improve the power and efficiency of laser output, but there is a loss of phase matching wavelength in existing crystals.
In this study, the team developed a full band phase matching crystal concept based on the widely used birefringence phase matching technology, which can achieve phase matching of crystal materials at any wavelength within the transmission range. Based on this, a nonlinear optical crystal GFB was obtained as a guide.
GFB crystal laser experiment.
![Chinese scientists create a new type of nonlinear optical crystal that can efficiently achieve laser frequency conversion range | Laser | China](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/bfb62b6b883308f584925d12ecfeeb17.jpg)
The research results indicate that GFB crystals can achieve high efficiency and high energy output in 1064 nanometer laser second, third, fourth, and fifth harmonic generation, with excellent comprehensive performance, and are expected to meet the major needs of semiconductor wafer detection and other fields.
"More importantly, we can use the aqueous solution method to grow high-quality, oversize GFB crystals, which has a huge cost advantage compared with the crystals currently widely used." Pan Shilie, the corresponding author of the article and director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Xinjiang Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology, said that in the next step, the team will continue to carry out research on the application of related crystal materials, devices and laser light sources, and strive to produce more original and leading innovative results.