Periodically domain−structured KTiOPO4 crystals grown from high temperature solution

International audiencePeriodically-poled ferroelectric crystals proved to be the most promising technique for exploiting at the best nonlinear optical frequency conversion properties of materials using quasi-phase matching (QPM). Until now the common method for obtaining periodically-poled ferroelectric crystals is by electric-field poling. In this technique local inversion of the spontaneous polarization is produced in a single-domain crystal by applying an electric field on a periodic electrode deposited on the crystal surface. The poling technology for nonlinear crystals like KTiOPO4, LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 is by now reliable to produce QPM gratings with periods down to about 8 µm. But the thickness of the periodically poled slabs is restricted to 1 mm for these gratings periods, which limits their use to low- and medium- power applications