This project investigates the synthesis and processing of mixed barium lead titanate crystals for use as a new nonlinear optical material with improved properties. Barium titanate is widely used as a photorefractive optical material, but is not suitable for nonlinear optical applications such as frequency doubling and parametric amplification. The addition of lead to form the mixed barium lead titanate crystal increases the spontaneous polarization and could possibly increase the birefringence and the nonlinear susceptibility. Major emphasis of the project will be on a study of the crystal growth parameters necessary for growth of large, homogeneous single crystals of good optical quality; a detailed program of materials characterization will also be performed utilizing optical, X-ray, and chemical analyses. Many of the fundamental properties being addressed on this project will be of interest for technological applications, such as optical data processing.
