Improved Optical Transmission of KTiOPO₄ Crystals Through Cerium-Doping and Oxygen Annealing

Reprinted with permission from P.F. Bordui, R. Blachman, and R.G. Norwood, Applied Physics Letters, 61, 1369-1371, (1992). American Institute of Physics.

Abstract

KTiOPO₄ single crystals were grown from cerium-doped potassium phosphate fluxes. Cerium-doped crystals exhibited increased optical transmission relative to undoped material from the UV band edge to roughly 800 nm. Oxygen annealing was performed on undoped and cerium-doped crystals. The effects on transmission of oxygen annealing were qualitatively similar to those brought about by cerium doping although roughly five times smaller in magnitude. Cerium doping had no observable influence on the nonlinear optical coefficients but altered slightly the crystal's birefringence.