MgO:LiNbO3 Crystals for EO Applications
Improved resistance to photodamage: The resistance of lithium niobate crystals with high doped MgO (concentration is usually greater than 5mol%) is significantly higher than that of pure LiNbO3 crystals, and can even be increased by two orders of magnitude. This enables MgO:LiNbO3 crystals to maintain stable performance and prolong service life under high-energy laser irradiation.
Reduced photorefractive effect: MgO doping helps to reduce the photorefractive effect of LiNbO3 crystals, i.e., optically induced refractive index changes. This effect is particularly pronounced under blue or green continuous light irradiation, but can be effectively suppressed by doping with MgO, thereby improving the performance stability of the crystal.
Maintain excellent nonlinear optical performance: MgO:LiNbO3 crystals have similar effective nonlinear coefficients to pure LiNbO3 crystals, which means that they perform well in nonlinear optical processes and are suitable for EO applications such as frequency conversion and optical parametric oscillation.
Applications: Q Switch, Phase Modulator, Electro-optic modulators, Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) and Amplifiers (OPAs), Infrared Applications, etc.
MgO:LiNbO3 crystals have gained significant prominence in the field of electro-optic (EO) applications, particularly as Q-switches and phase modulators. This is primarily due to their high EO coefficients, which make them highly responsive to electric fields. Additionally, MgO:LiNbO3 crystals exhibit a higher damaging threshold compared to non-doped LiNbO3 crystals, enhancing their durability and reliability in high-intensity applications.
Specifications:
| Crystal Materials | MgO(5mol%):LiNbO3 crystals |
| Size | Customized |
| Size Tolerance | +/-0.1mm |
| Length Tolerance | +/-0.2mm |
| Surface Quality | 20/10 S/D |
| Parallelism | <20 arc seconds |
| Flatness | < Lambda/10 @633nm |
| Chamfer | 0.1-0.3mmx45° |
| Chips | <0.15mm |
| Side Surface | Fine ground |
| Orientation Tolerance | < 10 arc minutes |
| Wavefront Distortion | <Lambda/4@633nm |
| Extinction Ratio | >200:1 |
| Coating | AR/AR@1064nm or customized |
| Damaging Threshold | >300mW/cm^2@1064nm 10nS 10Hz pulse |
| Electrode on Side Surface | Chrome gold electrode (Cr+Au) |
Features:
- Improved resistance to photodamage: The resistance of lithium niobate crystals with high doped MgO (concentration is usually greater than 5mol%) is significantly higher than that of pure LiNbO3 crystals, and can even be increased by two orders of magnitude. This enables MgO:LiNbO3 crystals to maintain stable performance and prolong service life under high-energy laser irradiation.
- Reduced photorefractive effect: MgO doping helps to reduce the photorefractive effect of LiNbO3 crystals, i.e., optically induced refractive index changes. This effect is particularly pronounced under blue or green continuous light irradiation, but can be effectively suppressed by doping with MgO, thereby improving the performance stability of the crystal.
- Maintain excellent nonlinear optical performance: MgO:LiNbO3 crystals have similar effective nonlinear coefficients to pure LiNbO3 crystals, which means that they perform well in nonlinear optical processes and are suitable for EO applications such as frequency conversion and optical parametric oscillation.
Applications:
- Q Switch: The MgO:LiNbO3 crystal can be used as a Q switch in solid-state lasers, and the Q value of the laser cavity can be quickly switched by controlling the electro-optical characteristics of the crystal, so as to output a high-energy short-pulse laser. This is of great significance in fields such as laser processing, material handling, etc.
- Phase Modulator: By using the electro-optical effect of MgO:LiNbO3 crystal, an efficient phase modulator can be fabricated. These modulators are used to modulate the phase of light waves in optical fiber communications, coherent optical communications, and other fields to achieve precise control of optical signals.
- Electro-optic modulators: MgO:LiNbO3 crystals are also suitable for making electro-optical modulators to modulate the intensity, phase, or polarization state of an optical signal. In optical fiber communication systems, electro-optical modulators are the key components to realize the coding and decoding of optical signals.
- Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPOs) and Amplifiers (OPAs): MgO:LiNbO3 crystals are widely used in the fabrication of OPOs and OPAs due to their excellent nonlinear optical properties. These devices are capable of producing output light at different frequencies using pump light, and play an important role in spectral analysis, lidar, medical diagnostics, and other fields.
- Infrared Applications: LiNbO3 crystals (including MgO:LiNbO3) are suitable for the infrared wavelength range, especially infrared light up to 3.0 μm. This makes them have potential application value in infrared detection, infrared imaging and other fields.
MgO:LiNbO3 crystals have proven to be a versatile and reliable material for a variety of EO applications, particularly as Q-switches and phase modulators. With their high EO coefficients, higher damaging threshold, and ability to operate at lower voltages, these crystals offer numerous advantages over other materials. Kingwin Optics, with its range of high-quality MgO:LiNbO3 crystals and lithium-niobate products, provides customers with the necessary tools to develop advanced EO systems and devices.
