LiNbO3 Crystals for EO Applications

Lithium niobate (LiNbO3) crystals demonstrate maltitude photoelectric effects, including piezoelectric effect, electro-optic effect, nonlinear effect, photorefractive effect, photovoltaic effect, and photoelastic effect, acousto-optic effects and other optoelectronic properties, for this, LiNbO3 has been used in various applications such as Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filters, Electro-optic (EO) pockels cells, Phase Modulators, Optical Modulators, Optical Isolators, Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPO), Difference-Frequency Generation (DFG), Second Harmonic Generation (SHG), etc. 

The lithium niobate crystals (LiNbO3) exhibit stable physical and chemical properties and are easy to process. Lithium niobate crystals have a wide light transmission range (0.3-5μm) and large electro-optic coefficients, which render them one of the most commonly used materials for EO pockels cells, optical modulators, and phase modulators with the advantage of low half-wave voltage and zero residual birefringences. However, LiNbO3 has a drawback of low damage threshold, therefore LiNbO3 pockels cells and modulators are fit for low and middle-power lasers. The damage threshold could be improved by MgO doping in LiNbO3, MgO:LiNbO3 has a higher damage threshold and could be utilized in high-power lasers.

Hangzhou Shalom EO offers off-the-shelf and custom LiNbO3 crystals and MgO:LiNbO3 crystals used for EO application of pockels cells and optical modulators, every piece of LiNbO3 crystals are under strict supervision and quality control, the AR coatings and Cr-Au electrodes are available upon request. A series of lithium-niobate products including SAW LiNbO3 Wafers, Nonlinear LiNbO3 and MgO:LiNbO3, MgO:LiNbO3 crystals for EO application, Optical Grade LiNbO3 Wafers, and MgO:PPLN Crystals, LiNbO3 Pockels Cells are also procurable.