Optical and Thermal Properties of 2-inch Nd3+, Mg2+ Co-doped Near Stoichiometric Lithium Niobate Crystal

The physical properties of near stoichiometric lithium niobate crystals (NSLN) can be improved by adding magnesium. For example, the light damage threshold of NSLN crystals mixed with a small amount of magnesium ions is higher than that of congruent lithium niobate (CLN) crystals mixed with high magnesium [1]. However, the current difficulties also lie in the deviation of SLN crystals from the congruent point, difficulty in growth, size limitation and uneven doping. SLN crystals are still not commercially available, and the size of the crystals is limited to two inches. We use the partial liquid phase method to synthesize polycrystalline materials of co-doped SLN crystals, and successfully solve the problem of uneven doping. The adjustment of process parameters and the use of continuous feeding technology greatly improved the success rate of SLN crystal growth. Then we characterized the grown NSLN crystal on optical and thermal properties.