Kurtz Powder Synthesis

Synthesis and second harmonic generation study of Nd3+ doped lithium alumino-borate nonlinear optical material
S. R. Dagdale, V. G. Pahurkar, G. G. Muley*
Department of Physics, Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati, Maharashtra, India-444602
* Corresponding author. Tel.: [phone], ext-269; fax: [phone].
E-mail address: [e-mail] (G. G. Muley)

Abstract: A polycrystalline neodymium doped lithium aluminum borate (Li2Al2(1-x)Nd2(x)B2O7, Nd:LABO) with x=0 and 0.03 has been synthesized by using simple solid-state technique. The obtained Nd:LABO polycrystalline was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and second harmonic generation efficiency measurement. The second harmonic generation efficiency of the polycrystalline material was obtained by the classic Kurtz powder technique using a fundamental wavelength 1064 nm of Nd:YAG laser and compared with potassium dihydrogen phosphate.

Keywords: Nd:LABO;

Li2CO3 + (x-1)Al2O3+(x)Nd2O3+ 2H3BO3 → Li2Al2(1-x)Nd2(x)B2O7 + CO2↑ + 3H2O↑
The crystallanity and phase formation of the polycrystalline samples was confirmed by powder XRD. Powder XRD measurement was carried out on a Rigaku Miniflex-II X-ray Diffractometer. Powder SHG measurements were carried out by using Kurtz and Perry method [20].

Results and Discussion
Powder XRD study
Powder XRD analysis is an efficient tool in determining the crystals structure of the material. Powder XRD pattern of the LABO and Nd:LABO powder was recorded using a CuKα (λ =1.504 Å) radiations. The powder sample was scanned over a range 10-90o for 2θ at a scan rate of 10o/min. The obtained data was analyzed and indexed using software PowderX [21]. The obtained XRD pattern is shown in Figure 2. The compound LABO crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system with unit cell parameters- a = 15.723 Å, c = 10.596Å and α = β = γ = 90o.

Figure 2. Powder XRD pattern of LABO and Nd:LABO.

SHG