A Novel Nonlinear Optical Crystal Bi₂ZnOB₂O₆

Abstract

Sizable single crystals of a nonlinear optical (NLO) material, Bi2ZnOB2O6, were grown by the Kyropoulos method from stoichiometric ratio compound melt. It is a congruent melting compound and crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group Pba2. The morphologies and habits of Bi2ZnOB2O6 crystals grown using [100], [010], and [001] seeds were studied. The SHG efficiency of Bi2ZnOB2O6 is 3−4 times that of KDP (KH2PO4). Its birefringence is pretty large (0.085−0.106). The experiments prove that Bi2ZnOB2O6 crystal is nonhygroscopic and excellently deliquescence resistant.