Abstract
Variable crystal quality affects the laser performance of many self-frequency doubling crystals, particularly those of the yttrium aluminum borate family. In this report we characterize nonlinear frequency conversion in Yb:YAB and demonstrate a simple non-destructive technique for measuring crystal quality. By imaging the nonlinear conversion using a CCD camera we observe phase matching characteristics similar to that obtained in quasi-phase-matched crystals. These effects are attributed to stacking faults in the structure of the YAB crystal during crystal growth. We believe that such defects cause the large variability in self-doubled performance reported for Nd- or Yb-doped YAB and that our technique may be used as a nondestructive measurement of crystal quality.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 5922-5930 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Optics Express |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 24 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2004 |