Optical properties of L-threonine crystals

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 22; no. 3; pp. 235 - 240
• Main Authors: Rodrigues, J.J., Misoguti, L., Nunes, F.D., Mendonça, C.R., Zilio, S.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2003; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Amino acid crystal; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency conversion ; harmonic generation, including high-order harmonic generation; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Harmonic generation, frequency conversion; Nonlinear optics; Optical materials; Optical nonlinearities; Optical susceptibility, hyperpolarizability; Optics; Physics; Polymers and organics; Second harmonic generation; Z-scan; Optical nonlinearities; Second harmonic generation; Amino acid crystal; 42.65; Z-scan; 42.70; Threonine; Refractive index; Optical properties; L stereoisomer; Amino acids; Absorption spectra; Optical frequency conversion; Experimental study; Nonlinear optics; Z scan; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/S0925-3467(02)00270-7

Second- and third-order optical nonlinearities of L-threonine amino acid crystals grown from aqueous solution are investigated in this work. The absorption spectra indicate a good transparency between 250 and 1500 nm. Refractive indices were measured as a function of temperature and wavelength, allowing the determination of the thermo-optic and Sellmeier equation coefficients. Phase-matching curves for second harmonic generation from radiation at 1.064 μm were obtained. The conversion efficiency was measured along the entire phase-matching loci and its maximum value was found to be comparable to that of KDP. The nonlinear refractive index n 2, measured through the Z-scan technique with femtosecond pulses, is of the order of 10 −20 m 2/W.