BBO Crystals for EO Applications

Beta BBO crystals or beta barium borate crystals exhibit significant advantages over other materials in terms of laser power handling abilities, high damage threshold temperature stability, and substantial freedom from piezoelectric ringing. Beta BBO crystals are the most attractive candidates for high repetition rate Q-switching, pulse picking at up to 3 MHz, laser cavity dumping, regenerative amplifier control, and beam chopper. Beta barium borate (BBO) crystal is an excellent electro-optic crystal for high-power applications at the wavelength range from 200nm to 2,500nm. 

Hangzhou Shalom EO offers BBO crystals used in the pockels cells with high precision polishing, AR coating, and Cr-Au electrodes at and competitive price. Stocked crystals of standard specifications are ready for selection, and customized special crystals are available upon the customer's request.  Besides, we also offer BBO pockels cells.

Click Here to visit our archives to learn more about pockels cells.

                        Fig.1  Transparency Curve of BBO 

• They are the best choice for high repetition rate Q-switching:

Because it relies on the electro-optical effect, switching time - aided by the low capacitance of the Electro-Optical Q Switch is very fast, therefore it has surpassing performance for high repetition rate lasers up to 1MHz. All-solid-state short-cavity Q-switched laser using BBO electro-optic Q-switch can generate high-energy laser with a pulse width of less than 4ns.

•  High damage threshold and power handling capability:

Without water cooling, the BBO electro-optical Q switch can be turned off and withstand up to 150W intracavity oscillation optical power (laser output power up to 50W).

•  Wide Transmission range from UV to NIR:

BBO crystals has a wide transparency range of 189nm to 3500nm, which allows it to be used in diverse applications from UV to NIR spectrum. 

•  Low Absortion and piezoelectric ringing:

Comparing to LiNbo3, BBO crystals are much less impaired by piezoelectric when voltage is applied. The other important feature of BBO electro-optics is their very low absorption and associated laser-induced thermal birefringence. Due to the low absorption, very little optical heating will occur at operating wavelengths in the visible and near IR.

• Relatively high half wave voltage:

BBO has a comparatively small electro-optic coefficient, and hence high applying voltage.Shalom EO offers customized BBO crystals with required dimensions as well. Our panel of engineers could offer professional consultancy and help you ascertain the optimized solution for your need.

Cautions:

• BBO crystals are hydroscopic and therefore it is recommended to preserve and use them in dry environment.
• Precautions need to be taken to protect its polished surfaces since BBO is comparatively vulnerable.
• The acceptance angle of BBO is small, so be careful when it comes to adjusting angles.
• Hangzhou Shalom EO engineers can offer you the best suitable and high quality crystal according to the characteristics of your lasers. The parameters we take into concern include pulse width , energy per pulse, repetition rate for a pulsed laser, power for a cw laser, divergence, laser beam diameter, wavelength tuning range, mode condition, etc.