Growth, thermal and optical properties of a novel nonlinear optical material K3B6O10Cl

A high quality single crystal of K3B6O10Cl with dimensions up to 25 x 11 x 7 mm(3) was successfully grown by the top-seeded solution growth method for the first time. Morphological analysis reveals that the growth of the crystal is anisotropic. By the minimum deviation technique, the refractive indices of the crystal were measured and fitted to the Sellmeier equations. The limit of type-I phase matching second harmonic generation wavelength was calculated to be 255 nm. The transparency spectrum shows that the as-grown crystal is transparent in the wavelength range of 180-3460 nm. The thermal properties and laser damage threshold have been investigated. The two principal coefficients of thermal expansion along a and c axis were measured to be 3.08 x 10(-6) and 28.4 x 10(-6) K-1.