Lithium Iodate Crystal Description
Lithium Iodate Crystal (LiIO3 Crystal) is an inorganic crystal composed of lithium (Li), iodine (I) and oxygen (O) atoms. It is characterised by its distinct chemical composition and crystalline structure and exhibits quantifiable optical and non‐linear optical properties. LiIO3 crystals are transparent over a broad spectral range and are suitable for various optical applications from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near‐infrared (NIR) region.
Lithium Iodate Crystal Specifications
|
Wavefront distortion during transmission
|
Less than λ/4 at 633 nm
|
|
Dimensional tolerance
|
(W±0.2mm)x(H±0.2mm)x(L+0.5mm/-0.2)
|
|
Clear aperture
|
>90% of the central area
|
|
Flatness
|
λ/4 at 633nm
|
|
Scratch/Dig-Code
|
20/10 according to MIL-PRF-13830B
|
|
Parallelism
|
Better than 20 arcseconds
|
|
Perpendicularity
|
5 arcminutes
|
|
Angular tolerance
|
<± 0.5°
|
|
Quality assurance period
|
One year with proper use
|
Physical Properties:
| Transmission range |
0.5 to 5.0μm |
Crystal structure |
hexagonal |
| Point group |
6 |
Density |
4,487 g/cm3 |
| Mohs hardness |
3.5–4.0 |
Absorption at 1064nm, cm-1 |
<0.05 |
| Refractive indices at 1064nm |
no=1,8571,ne=1,7165 |
Refractive indices at 800nm |
no=1,8676,ne=1,7245 |
| Refractive indices at 532nm |
no=1,8982,ne=1,7480 |
Phase-matching range for Type I SHG (nm) |
570–4000 |
| Angular value, mradxcm |
0.77 |
Spectral, cm-1×cm |
12.74 |
| Acceptance for Type I SHG at 1064nm, mrad |
|
Lithium Iodate Crystal Main Features
- Transmitting wavefront distortion: less than λ/2 at 633nm
- Clear aperture: >90% of the central area
- Flatness: λ/4 at 633nm
- Surface quality: 20/10
- Parallelism: better than 20 arcseconds
- Perpendicularity: 5 arcminutes
- Angular tolerance (degrees): D(q) < ±0.5, D(f) < ±0.5
- AR-coating: available on request
Lithium Iodate Crystal Applications
1. Frequency Doubling (Second-Harmonic Generation, SHG):
In frequency doubling, the crystal converts an input laser beam with a specified wavelength into a beam with exactly half the wavelength.
2. Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) and Amplifiers (OPAs):
LiIO3 crystals are integrated into optical parametric oscillators and amplifiers to achieve tunable laser output at various wavelengths. Consequently, these devices are utilised in spectroscopy, material analysis and scientific research.
3. Non-linear optical studies:
Researchers employ LiIO3 crystals in non-linear optical studies to examine fundamental aspects of light–matter interactions, quantum optics and quantum information processing.
4. Laser Systems:
Lithium iodate crystals are incorporated into a variety of laser systems, including solid-state lasers, tunable laser sources and mode-locked lasers. They are applied in telecommunications, medical technology and scientific research.
5. Frequency Conversion:
The crystals are utilised in frequency conversion processes, thereby producing laser beams at different wavelengths. This capability is advantageous in both scientific and industrial laser applications.
6. Photonic research:
LiIO3 crystals are used in photonics research to investigate new methods for light manipulation and control in telecommunications, quantum optics and photonic integrated circuits.
7. Generation of Entangled Photon Pairs:
Lithium iodate crystals are employed to generate entangled photon pairs. They are essential in experiments relating to quantum optics and quantum communication research.
Converters & Calculators
