Novel Polarized Crystal BaTeW<sub>2</sub>O<sub>9</sub>: Crystal Growth, Characterization, and Wide-Band Polarized Prism
Feifei Guo, Lijuan Chen, Zeliang Gao, Youxuan Sun, Zhongjun Zhai, Xutang Tao
Abstract
A novel polarized crystal α-BaTeW2O9 (α-BTW) with dimensions of 58 × 58 × 58 mm3 was successfully grown by a high-temperature top-seeded solution growth technique from TeO2–WO3 flux. The morphologies and growth habits of the α-BTW crystal grown with [100]-, [010]-, and [001]-oriented seeds were investigated. The laser damage threshold of the α-BTW crystal was determined to be 637 MW/cm2 (1064 nm, 10 ns, 1 Hz). With the large birefringence (Δn = 0.2094 at 532 nm), an α-BTW polarized prism which can be used in the range of 0.4–5 μm was successfully designed and fabricated. The extinction ratio of the prism was larger than 20 000:1. The results verify that the α-BTW crystal is a new promising birefringent crystal for polarized optical devices, particularly in the 3–5 μm wavelength range.