A study on optical, thermal, mechanical, dielectric, piezoelectric and NLO properties of unidirectional ammonium chloride added ammonium dihydrogen phosphate crystal

<0 0 1> directed ammonium dihydrogen phosphate single crystal with the addition of 1 mol% of ammonium chloride in the mother solution has been grown by Sankaranarayanan-Ramasamy method. The grown crystal has cylindrical morphology with good optical quality. It has good thermal stability up to 200 °C. Higher mechanical stability was observed in ammonium chloride added crystal compared to pure crystal. Moreover, the addition of ammonium chloride improves the quality and yields highly transparent crystal in minimum duration of growth. Good piezoelectric behaviour was observed for the grown crystal. Low dielectric loss shows that the grown crystal contains minimum defects. The optical transmission study and the powder SHG measurement show the suitability of the ingot for nonlinear optical applications.     

Influence of NH4Cl on the < 1 0 0> directed growth and properties of ADP crystal

Good quality, pure and ammonium chloride added < 1 0 0> directed ADP single crystals with different sizes were grown by Sankaranarayanan-Ramasamy method with the vision to improve the properties of the crystal. The grown crystals have cylindrical morphology and the crystals were subjected to UV-Vis., DTA, microhardness, laser damage threshold, dielectric, piezoelectric and SHG studies. The addition of ammonium chloride improves the quality and yields crystals with transparency more than 80% in minimum duration of growth. Higher laser damage threshold and mechanical stability were observed in ammonium chloride added ADP crystals. Low dielectric loss shows that the grown crystal contains minimum defects. Good piezoelectric behaviour was observed for the grown crystals. The SHG efficiency of the crystals was obtained using Nd-YAG laser, which is approximately 3 times that of pure ADP and shows the suitability of the ingot for nonlinear optical applications.     

Structural,optical and dielectric studies of novel non-linear Bisglycine Lithium Nitrate piezoelectric single crystal

The novel non-linear semiorganic Bisglycine Lithium Nitrate (BGLiN) single crystals were grown by slow evaporation technique. The structural analysis revealed that it belongs to non-centrosymmetric orthorhombic structure. The presence of various functional groups in the grown crystal was confirmed by FTIR and Raman analysis. Surface morphology of the grown crystal was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The optical studies show that crystal has good transmittance (more than 80%) in the entire visible region and a wide band gap (5.17 eV). The optical constants such as extinction coefficient (K), the reflectance (R) and refractive index (n) as a function of photon energy were calculated from the optical measurements. With the help of these optical constants the electric susceptibility (χ_c) and both the real (ε_r) and imaginary (ε_i) parts of the dielectric constants were also calculated which are required to develop optoelectronic devices. In photoluminescence studies, a broad emission band centered at 404 nm was found in addition to a small band at 352 nm. A broad transition (from 29 to 33 °C) was observed with low dielectric constant value. A high piezoelectric charge coefficient (d₃₃) of 14 pC/N was measured at room temperature which implies its usefulness for various sensor applications. The second harmonic generation efficiency of crystal was found to be 1.5 times to that of KDP. From thermo gravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis, thermal stability and melting point (246 °C) were investigated. The dielectric behavior, optical characterization, piezoelectric behavior and the non-linear optical properties of the Bisglycine Lithium Nitrate single crystals were reported for the first time which established the usefulness of these crystals for various piezo- and opto-electronics applications.     

Growth, thermal, dielectric and mechanical studies of triglycine zinc chloride, a semiorganic nonlinear optical material

Triglycine zinc chloride, a semiorganic material, has been grown by slow solvent evaporation technique from a mixture of aqueous solution of glycine and zinc chloride in 2:1 molar ratio at room temperature. The grown crystal is up to the dimension of 45 × 23 × 18 mm³. Characterization of the crystals was made using single-crystal X-ray diffraction for obtaining unit cell parameters. Powder X-ray diffraction was recorded and the major peaks were indexed. Simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis were carried out for the as grown crystals to determine the thermal stability of the crystal. The crystals were further characterized by UV-Vis-NIR transmission spectrum in the range of 200 to 1100 nm. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss measurements were carried out at different temperatures and frequencies. Mechanical studies were carried out on the as grown crystal.     

Growth and characterization of a new semi-organic nonlinear optical sodium paranitrophenolate paranitrophenol dihydrate single crystal

A new semi-organic nonlinear optical sodium paranitrophenolate paranitrophenol dihydrate single crystal is grown successfully using methanol as solvent by slow evaporation technique to dimensions of 14 × 5 × 4 mm³ in a period of 7 days. The grown crystal is characterized by X-ray diffractometry and UV-Visible spectral analysis. X-ray diffraction data reveals that the crystal belongs to monoclinic system with space group C2. Optical absorption studies illustrate low absorption in the entire UV and Visible region. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the crystal measured by Kurtz's powder technique infers that the crystal has NLO coefficient 5 times greater than that of KDP crystal. Remarkable mechanical strength with the work hardening coefficient less than 2 and thermal stability up to 120 °C of the grown crystal is reported.     

Third order optical non-linear (Z-scan), birefringence,photoluminescence, mechanical and etching studies on melaminium levulinate monohydrate (MLM) single crystal for optical device applications

Z-scan studies on the grown crystal was investigated by diode-pumped Nd; YAG laser. Nonlinear refractive index (n₂) and third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ³) values of MLM were found to be −1.0 × 10⁻⁸ cm²/W and 1.36 × 10⁻⁶ esu respectively. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis depicted that the crystal belongs to monoclinic system with space group P2₁/c. Birefringence study revealed the optical dispersion behavior of MLM crystal. Linear refractive index on (10-1) plane was measured by prism coupling technique and was estimated to be 1.4705. Hardness study was carried out along three different planes which exhibit hardness anisotropy of 41.11%. Meyer's index values of the grown crystal for the (10-1), (010) and (111) planes were found to be 2.39, 2.61 and 2.04 respectively. Etching studies on the prominent (10-1) growth plane was explained by two dimensional layer growth mechanisms. Photoluminescence study was performed on MLM crystal to explore its efficacy towards optical device fabrications.     

Investigation on structural,optical, thermal,mechanical and dielectric properties of l-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate single crystals: An efficient NLO material

In the present work, we have grown single crystals of l-proline cadmium chloride monohydrate (LPCCM) by slow evaporation solution technique (SEST) at room temperature and recorded their live growth kinetics with the help of inverted microscope. Crystal size at various stages of growth and its corresponding morphology was also recorded. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis of LPCCM single crystals confirmed the orthorhombic structure. Respective values of crystallite size, strain and dislocation density have been calculated using PXRD data. Metal complex coordination of the single crystal is studied by FTIR spectroscopic. The optical properties of the grown crystals were investigated through UV–VIS spectroscopic studies and shows that the crystals have very low absorption in entire characterized wavelength range 200–800 nm. The optical band gap was calculated and found to be ∼5.6 eV. Optical constants of the material is determined by theoretical calculations. The chemical etching study was also carried out to study the density of defects in the grown crystals. The photoluminous excitation and emission spectra and thermal property by TGA/DTA curve were recorded. Further, the mechanical properties have been studied using Vicker's microhardness tester as well as many parameters such as fracture toughness (K_c), Brittleness index (B_i) and yield strength (σ_ν) are presented. Dielectric studies have been carried out with varying frequency and temperatures.     

Effect of Ni on the structural, optical, thermal and dielectric properties of ADP single crystals

The effects of the addition of Ni²⁺ on the growth and various properties of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate single crystals grown from aqueous solution by the slow evaporation method have been studied. The grown crystals were subjected to HRXRD, UV-Vis, TG/DTA and dielectric studies. The structural perfection of the grown crystal has been analyzed by high resolution X-ray diffraction rocking curve measurements. UV-Vis studies show that the grown crystal has good transparency in the entire visible region which is an essential requirement for a nonlinear crystal. Higher decomposition temperature was observed from TG/DTA. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss were measured for the grown crystal for different frequencies and temperatures.     

Growth by SR method and characterization of bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride single crystals

Large size single crystals of bis(thiourea)zinc(II) chloride (BTZC), a potential nonlinear optical material, have been grown successfully by the Sankaranarayanan-Ramasamy (SR) method. Powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analyses confirmed the material of the grown crystal. Thermal stability was assessed by the thermogravimetric/differential thermal analysis. The high-resolution X-ray diffraction and dielectric measurements indicate that the crystal grown by the SR method has good crystalline perfection and low density of defects.     

Optical,mechanical and transport properties of unidirectional grown l-tartaric acid bulk single crystal for non-linear optical application

Good optical quality bulk single crystal of l-tartaric acid has been grown by directional solidification crystal growth method from aqueous solution. Crystal of dimension 77 mm length and 12 mm diameter has been grown at a growth rate of 2.5 mm day⁻¹ which is the maximum size and growth rate achieved so far. The grown crystal was confirmed by powder XRD analysis and the presence of the functional groups in the crystal lattice was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. Transmission spectral analysis shows that the crystal has more than 90% of transmittance in visible and near infrared region which exhibits the good optical quality of the crystal. The optical band gap was estimated to be 4.8 eV and it shows indirect optical transition. Thermal analysis shows the crystal to be thermally stable up to 172 °C and the load variation of the hardness has been explained on the basis of normal indentation size effect from microhardness study.     

Growth, linear and nonlinear optical and, laser damage threshold studies of organometallic crystal of MnHg(SCN)4

Single crystals of bimetallic MnHg(SCN)₄ (abbreviated as MMTC) are grown by slow cooling method and the second and third order optical nonlinearities are investigated by Kurtz and Perry powder SHG test and single beam Z-scan technique respectively. The influences of SCN ligand in modifying the NLO properties are discussed and the results are compared with other organometallic crystals. The nonlinear refractive index, absorption coefficient and third order susceptibility are estimated to be −1.88 × 10⁻¹¹ cm²/W, 8.65 × 10⁻⁶ cm/W and 6.58 × 10⁻⁹ esu, respectively. The optical absorption of MMTC single crystal was recorded and the corresponding direct band gap is found to be 4.2 eV. The phase matching and laser induced damage threshold studies are also carried out. The FT-IR and photoluminescence spectroscopic techniques were employed to identify the composition and luminescence nature of the crystal.     

Growth, characterization and optical quality of CaF2 single crystals grown by the temperature gradient technique

The CaF₂ single crystals with diameters up to 200 mm were successfully grown by modified temperature gradient technique (TGT), which are suitable for application as optical elements in the ultraviolet range. The optimizations of various growth parameters were systematically studied. Properties of as-grown CaF₂ crystals were characterized by the nature of inclusions, dislocations, crystallinity, and impurities contents. The results showed that the dislocations and multinucleation were mostly constrained in the conical part of the crystals with the cylindrical parts having the best crystalline quality and lowest impurity contents. The high optical quality of TGT-grown CaF₂ single crystals was also confirmed to have excellent optical transmission in 190-2500 nm and refractive index homogeneity.     

Growth, thermal and mechanical properties of new nonlinear optical barium bis-paranitrophenolate paranitrophenol tetrahydrate single crystal

Barium bis paranitrophenolate paranitrophenol tetrahydrate, a new semiorganic nonlinear optical single crystal has been grown by slow evaporation solution growth technique at room temperature of 30 °C. Crystal of dimensions of 29 mm × 11 mm × 5 mm was obtained in a period of 30 days. X-ray diffraction analysis reveal the newness of the crystal structure belonging to the orthorhombic class with lattice parameters a = 19.899(5) Å, b = 28.019(8) Å, c = 10.745(4) Å and α = β = γ = 90°. The grown crystal is examined for its nonlinear optical nature with Kurtz powder technique after being sieved for particle sizes between 5 and 100 μm and analyzed for its thermal and mechanical properties. The effective nonlinear optical coefficient being 16 times greater than that of KDP crystal, good thermal stability up to 120 °C with the Meyer's constant n < 2 helps fashion the crystal towards device geometry.     

Growth of TGS single crystal by conventional and SR method and its analysis on the basis of mechanical, thermal, optical and etching studies

Unidirectional <001> bulk ferroelectric Tri glycine sulphate (TGS) single crystal of diameter 18 mm and length 150 mm was successfully grown by SR method. The grown TGS single crystal was characterized using etching, Vicker's microhardness, TG-DTA and UV-Vis analysis. The TGS crystals grown by SR method have higher hardness than conventional method grown crystals. Dislocation density (DD) is less in SR grown crystal compared to conventional method grown TGS crystals. The transmittance of SR grown TGS is 8% higher than that of the conventional grown crystal.     

Synthesis,crystal growth,structural, spectral,thermal, mechanical,linear and nonlinear optical studies of organic single crystal 4-Iodo 4-nitrostilbene (IONS): A potential NLO material

An organic nonlinear optical material 4-Iodo 4-nitrostilbene (IONS) has been synthesized and good optical quality single crystal was grown from ethyl methyl ketone solvent by the solution growth technique. Single and powder X-ray diffraction analyses reveals that the grown crystal belongs to monoclinic crystal system with noncentrosymmetric space group ‘P2₁’ and it has good crystalline nature. Functional groups and molecular structure of the title compound were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR respectively. The UV–Vis–NIR absorption study reveals no absorption in the visible region and the cut-off wavelength was found to be at 412.84 nm, TG/DTA, mass spectral analysis, photoluminescence and microhardness studies have been carried out for the grown crystals and results are discussed in detail. The second harmonic efficiency of the IONS was determined by Kurtz–Perry powder technique which reveals that the IONS crystal (3.1 V) has greater efficiency i.e., 143 times to that of KDP (21.7 mV).     

Scintillation properties of CsSrX3:Eu (CsSr1−yEuyX3, X = Cl,Br; 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.05) single crystals grown by the Bridgman method

The single crystals of CsSr_1−yEu_yCl₃ and CsSr_1−yEu_yBr₃ (0 ≤ y ≤ 0.05) grown by the Bridgman method have been investigated for their scintillation properties. The radioluminescence spectra of the crystals demonstrated a narrow band at 400–500 nm which peak position shifts continuously toward larger wavelength as the Eu²⁺ concentration increases. The scintillation light yield achieves maximal value of 33,400 ± 1700 photons per MeV with energy resolution of 11.5% at CsSr_0.95Eu_0.05Cl₃ and 31,300 ± 1600 photons per MeV with energy resolution of 9% at CsSr_0.95Eu_0.05Br₃. The decay times at room temperature are 2.7 ± 0.2 μs and 2.5 ± 0.2 μs, respectively.     

Effect of l-alanine,Mn(II) and glycine dopants on the structural,crystalline perfection,second harmonic generation (SHG), dielectric and mechanical properties of BTCA single crystals

Bis thiourea cadmium acetate (BTCA) single crystals were grown at room temperature with different dopants by aqueous solution technique. The crystal system of the grown crystals with all the dopants was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction study which confirms that there is no extra phase due to doping of l-alanine (LA), Mn(II) and glycine (Gly). It was further confirmed by FT-IR as well as FT–Raman spectroscopy analysis. The effect of LA, Mn(II) and Gly doping on the crystalline perfection was assessed by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry (HRXRD) analysis which revealed that the grown crystals with Gly doping are more perfect in comparison of other dopants. The SHG efficiency was measured using the Kurtz powder technique and shows that the grown crystals with Gly doping are more efficient in comparison of other dopants which is in tune with crystalline perfection. The low values of dielectric constant and loss also revealed that the grown crystals are defect free. The hardness values were found to be increased by increasing the doping concentration.