LiNbO₃ Crystals

Fig 1. Morphology of hydrothermally
synthesized LiNbO₃ crystals. [1]

What Are LiNbO₃ Crystals?

Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) is one of the most widely used multifunctional optical crystals in the photonics industry. Known for its large electro-optic, acousto-optic, and nonlinear optical coefficients, broad transparency range, and stable physical properties, LiNbO₃ serves as a key material in laser systems, modulators, waveguides, frequency conversion, and quantum optics.

Alfa Chemistry supply high-quality, optical-grade Lithium Niobate crystals in standard and custom specifications for both research and industrial use.

Features

• Exceptional Electro-Optic Properties: Large electro-optic coefficients (g^T₃₃ = 32 pm/V) enabling efficient light modulation.
• Excellent Nonlinear Characteristics: Strong nonlinear optical effects for frequency conversion and parametric processes.
• Wide Transparency Range: 420 nm - 5200 nm, covering visible to mid-infrared spectral regions.
• High Optical Damage Resistance: Suitable for high-power laser applications.
• Outstanding Piezoelectric Properties: Ideal for surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices and sensors.
• Temperature Stability: Maintains performance across wide temperature ranges.
• Ferroelectric Properties: Supports periodic poling for quasi-phase-matching applications.

Specifications Product Options Applications

Product Name	LiNbO3 Crystals
Catalog No.	OPTIX-0006
Chemical Formula	LiNbO3
Crystal Structure	Trigonal, Space group R3c, Point group 3m
Lattice Parameters	a = 5.148 Å, c = 13.863 Å
Density	4.64 g/cm3
Mohs Hardness	5
Melting Point	1253℃
Curie Temperature	1140℃
Clear Aperture	Central 90% of the diameter
Parallelism	20 arc sec
Perpendicularity	≤ 15 arc min
Surface Quality (Scratch/Dig)	20/10 to MIL-PRF-13830B
Angle Tolerance	≤ ±0.5°
Flatness	λ/8 @633 nm
Elastic Stiffness Coefficients	CE11 = 2.33 (× 1011 N/m2) CE33 = 2.77 (× 1011 N/m2)
Nonlinear Optical Properties
NLO Coefficient	d33 = 86 × d36 (KDP) = 37.84 pm/V d31 = 11.6 × d36 (KDP) = 5.10 pm/V d22 = 5.6 × d36 (KDP) = 2.46 pm/V
Effective NLO Coefficients	deff (I) = d31sinθ - d22cosθsin3Φ deff (II) = d22cos2θ cos3Φ
Damage Threshold	100 MW/cm2 (10 ns, 1064 nm)
Linear Optical Properties
Transparency Range	420-5200 nm
Optical Homogeneity	~5 ×10-5 /cm
Absorption Coefficient	<0.1%/cm @ 1064nm
Refractive Index	ne = 2.146, no = 2.220 @1300 nm ne = 2.156, no = 2.232 @1064 nm ne = 2.203, no = 2.286 @632.8 nm
Sellmeier Equations (λ in μm)	no2 = 4.9048 + 0.11768/ (λ2 - 0.04750) - 0.027169 λ2 ne2 = 4.5820 + 0.099169/(λ2 - 0.04443) - 0.02195 λ2
Thermal and Electrical Properties
Thermal Conductivity	38 W/m/K @25 ℃
Thermal Expansion Coefficients (@ 25℃)	//a, 2.0 × 10-6 /K //c, 2.2 × 10-6 /K
Resistivity	2×10-6 Ω·cm @200 ℃
Dielectric Constants	εS11/ε0 = 43, εT11/ε0 = 78 εS33/ε0 = 28, εT33/ε0 = 32
Piezoelectric Strain Constant	D22 = 2.04 × 10-11 C/N D33 = 19.22 × 10-11 C/N
Electro-Optic Coefficients	gT33 = 32 pm/V, gS33 = 31 pm/V, gT31 =10 pm/V, gS31=8.6 pm/V, gT22 = 6.8 pm/V, gS22= 3.4 pm/V
Thermo-Optical Coefficient	dno/dT = -0.874 x 10-6 / K @ 1.4 µm dne/dT = 39.073 x 10-6 / K @ 1.4 µm
Half-Wave Voltage, DC Electrical field // z, light ⊥ z; Electrical field // x or y, light // z	3.03 KV 4.02 KV

Note: The data provided is for reference purposes. We recommend consulting with our technical team to verify suitability for your application.

LiNbO₃ Crystal Product Options

• Shapes: Including but not limited to blanks, wafers, wedges, and substrates (Z-cut, X-cut, Y-cut available).
• Dimensions: Blanks up to Ø100mm in diameter and up to 150mm in length; wafer thicknesses can be customized starting from 0.25mm.
• AR-coated components: For specific wavelength ranges.
• Product Variants:
  a) Standard Congruent LiNbO₃: Cost-effective solution for general applications.
  b) Magnesium Oxide-Doped LiNbO₃: Enhanced resistance to optical damage.
  c) Periodically Poled LiNbO₃ (PPLN): Custom poling periods for specific wavelength requirements.
  d) Lithium Niobate on Insulator (LNOI): Advanced platform for integrated photonics.
  e) Custom Doping Options: Various dopants available for specific performance requirements.

Lithium Niobate crystals serve critical roles across multiple technologies:

Telecommunications:

High-speed electro-optic modulators (40G/100G/200G+)

Optical switches and multiplexers

Phase and amplitude modulators

Nonlinear Optics:

Second harmonic generation (SHG)

Optical parametric oscillators (OPO)

Difference frequency generation (DFG)

Integrated Photonics:

Lithium Niobate on Insulator (LNOI) platforms

Photonic integrated circuits

Quantum photonic devices

Acoustic Wave Devices:

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters

Sensors and resonators

RF signal processing components

Medical and Scientific Instruments:

Optical coherence tomography (OCT)

Laser microscopy systems

Spectroscopy equipment

Why Choose Our LiNbO₃ Crystals?

• State-of-the-Art Growth Technology: Precision Czochralski growth ensuring superior crystal quality.
• Comprehensive Characterization: Full spectral and performance characterization for each crystal.
• Custom Fabrication Capabilities: Tailored dimensions, orientations, and poling periods.
• Strict Quality Control: Rigorous testing for optical homogeneity, wavefront distortion, and performance verification.
• Global Supply Chain: Reliable delivery and technical support worldwide.

Reference

1. Yu, Ji, et al. Materials Letters 61.2 (2007): 355-358.