Growth and nonlinear optical properties of BaAlBO3F2 crystal

BaAlBO3F2 (BABF), a newly developed nonlinear optical (NLO) crystal, was fully investigated for high-power harmonic generation of UV light. This was performed after successfully growing high-quality single crystals in the LiF-B2O3-NaF flux system. Thermal expansion, specific heat, transmittance spectrum, nonlinear optical coefficients, and laser damage threshold were measured. High-power NLO experiments were also conducted for what we believe to be the first time for BABF crystals. Because BABF is absolutely not hygroscopic, the appealing physical, chemical, optical, and NLO properties make BABF a promising NLO crystal for practical application in high-power UV light generation. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America