SBIR-STTR Award

This project is intended to study the viability of growing single crystals of cesium lithium borate for nonlinear laser frequency conversion into the UV region for applications such as ozone DIAL. As with any new nonlinear material, the key qualities sought are high damage threshold, large nonlinear coefficients, good trans-parency in the region of interest, and better crystal growth char-acteristics than current commercially available materials. This new material, cesium lithium borate, exhibits such properties, making it a potentially better frequency converter into the ultraviolet than other well-known borates, such as LBO and BBO. Recent reports from university researchers in the US and Japan indicate that large pieces of high quality material can be readily grown from either stoichiometric of self-fluxing melts when proper thermal gradients are established. Important objectives for this proposed project include the modification of a production Czochralski furnace to establish such a gradient, development of seeding and growth techniques to yield high-quality, large-size single crystals, the design of new coating techniques for this material, and measurement of UV conversion efficiencies using fabricated and coated slabs. The anticipated result of this research will be the availability of consistently high optical quality, economically-priced pieces of a new nonlinear material with superior characteristics.Commercial Applications:The development of a process for the growth of high quality cesium lithium borate will result in the intro-duction of a new nonlinear material into the commercial, industrial, aerospace and military laser markets. This material can easily be phase-matched and frequency converted below 200 nm into the ultraviolet. With the prevalence of visible and near-infrared laser systems currently in the market, many laser manufacturers will show a genuine interest in a crystal that will allow them to access the commercially promising ultraviolet region of the spectrum.

___(NOTE: Note: no official Abstract exists of this Phase II projects. Abstract is modified by idi from relevant Phase I data. The specific Phase II work statement and objectives may differ)___ This project is intended to study the viability of growing single crystals of cesium lithium borate for nonlinear laser frequency conversion into the UV region for applications such as ozone DIAL. As with any new nonlinear material, the key qualities sought are high damage threshold, large nonlinear coefficients, good trans-parency in the region of interest, and better crystal growth char-acteristics than current commercially available materials. This new material, cesium lithium borate, exhibits such properties, making it a potentially better frequency converter into the ultraviolet than other well-known borates, such as LBO and BBO. Recent reports from university researchers in the US and Japan indicate that large pieces of high quality material can be readily grown from either stoichiometric of self-fluxing melts when proper thermal gradients are established. Important objectives for this proposed project include the modification of a production Czochralski furnace to establish such a gradient, development of seeding and growth techniques to yield high-quality, large-size single crystals, the design of new coating techniques for this material, and measurement of UV conversion efficiencies using fabricated and coated slabs. The anticipated result of this research will be the availability of consistently high optical quality, economically-priced pieces of a new nonlinear material with superior characteristics.Commercial Applications:The development of a process for the growth of high quality cesium lithium borate will result in the intro-duction of a new nonlinear material into the commercial, industrial, aerospace and military laser markets. This material can easily be phase-matched and frequency converted below 200 nm into the ultraviolet. With the prevalence of visible and near-infrared laser systems currently in the market, many laser manufacturers will show a genuine interest in a crystal that will allow them to access the commercially promising ultraviolet region of the spectrum.