LiNbO₃ (Lithium Niobate) Crystal
Keywords:
Scintillation Crystals
- Product Introduction
- Key advantages
- Application areas
- Product Features
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- Commodity name: LiNbO₃ (Lithium Niobate) Crystal
LiNbO₃ (Lithium Niobate) Crystal, abbreviated as LN crystal, is an electro-optic crystal with particularly outstanding overall performance.
Product Introduction
LiNbO₃ (Lithium Niobate) Crystal, abbreviated as LN crystal, is an electro-optic crystal with particularly outstanding overall performance.
Lithium niobate crystal, with the chemical formula LiNbO₃ and commonly referred to as LN crystal, is an inorganic compound. It is a negative-type and ferroelectric crystal. When subjected to polarization treatment, lithium niobate crystals exhibit remarkable multifunctional properties, including piezoelectric, ferroelectric, optoelectronic, nonlinear optical, and thermoelectric characteristics, while also demonstrating a photorefractive effect. Lithium niobate crystals are among the most widely used novel inorganic materials today. They serve as excellent piezoelectric transducers, ferroelectric materials, and electro-optic devices. In particular, lithium niobate’s role as an electro-optic material makes it indispensable for optical modulation in fiber-optic communication systems. Moreover, its high-quality single crystals are critical components in applications such as optical waveguides, mobile phones, piezoelectric sensors, optical modulators, and various other linear and nonlinear optical devices.
LN crystals exhibit excellent mechanical and physical properties, making them an ideal choice for optical polarization components due to their wide transparency range and low cost. They are particularly well-suited for fiber-optic communication applications, such as isolators, circulators, beam splitters, and other polarization-based optical devices. Additionally, these crystals find extensive use in electro-optic modulators and Q-switches for Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, and Ti:Sapphire lasers, as well as in modulators integrated into optical fibers. Compared to other electro-optic crystals, LN crystals stand out for their compact size, resistance to deliquescence, high electro-optic coefficients, broad transparency spectrum, exceptional electro-optic efficiency, minimal absorption losses, and a low damage threshold. As a result, they are highly versatile, enabling applications in 532nm, 1064nm, and 2940nm lasers, as well as frequency doubling at wavelengths above 1000 nm and optical parametric amplification using 1064 nm pump light. Beyond their electro-optic capabilities, lithium niobate crystals also boast remarkable acousto-optic, piezoelectric, and nonlinear properties, making them valuable materials for both civilian and military applications.
Key Advantages
- Possessing a variety of properties, including piezoelectric, ferroelectric, photonic, nonlinear optical, and thermoelectric characteristics
- Wide range of transparency
- High Electro-Optic Efficiency, Low Absorption Loss
- Stable Mechanical and Chemical Properties
- Miniaturization
- Non deliquescent, High-Temperature StabilityApplication Areas
- Optical communication, information processing, integrated optical Circuits, image storage
- Harmonic generation, frequency doubling devices, parametric oscillation
-1064nm laser frequency doubling, four-wave phase-matching devices, SAW filters
- Q-Switch, electro-optic modulator, parametric oscillator
- Isolators, circulators, beam splitters, and other polarization optical devicesProduct Features
Material Properties
Crystal Constant
a=5.148 Å, c=13.863 Å
Density
4.64 g/cm³
Mohs Hardness
5 Mohs
Transparency Range
420-5200 nm
Resistivity (@200°C)
2×10⁻⁶ Ω·cm
Dielectric Constant
D₂₂=2.04×10⁻¹¹ C/N ; D₃₃=19.22×10⁻¹¹ C/N
Thermal Expansion Coefficient (@ 25°C)
//a, 2.0×10⁻⁶ /K; //c, 2.2×10⁻⁶ /K
Refractive Index
no=2.286, ne=2.203(@633 nm)
Electro-Optic Coefficient
γ13=8.6, γ22=3.4, γ33=30.8, γ51=28.0, (pmv⁻¹)
Curie Temperature
1140°C
Melting Point
1253°C
Product Processing Indicators
Effective Aperture
>90%
Dimensional Tolerance
(W±0.1 mm)×(H±0.1 mm)×(L±0.2 mm)
Chamfer
≤0.2×45°
Surface Quality
20-10 S-D
Flatness
≤λ/8@632.8 nm
Wavefront Distortion
≤λ/4@632.8 nm
Parallelism
<20"
Perpendicularity
≤15′
Chipped Edge
< 0.1 mm
Coating
Dual-wavelength anti-reflection coating @ 1064/532 nm, with low reflectance R < 0.2% at 1064 nm and R < 0.2% at 532 nm; available in anti-reflection or gold/chromium coatings, custom-made to meet customer specifications for electro-optic products.
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- Strong electro-optic effect: Ideal for high-speed optical modulation.
- High dielectric constant: Beneficial for surface acoustic wave and ultrasonic sensor applications.
- Excellent thermal stability: Suitable for high-temperature environments.
- Wide optical transparency range: Exhibits excellent light transmission across wavelengths from ultraviolet to mid-infrared.
- High sensitivity
- Wide range of transparency
- Not easily deliquescent -
- Optical communication: Used in electro-optic modulators and optical switches.
- Precision sensing: Applied in accelerometers, temperature sensors, and more.
- Laser technology: Used in laser frequency doublers, modulators, and more.
- Medical devices: Piezoelectric sensors used in ultrasound equipment.
- Surface acoustic wave devices: such as wireless filters and delay lines.
- Optical storage, transient recording
- High-speed holographic camera -
Material Properties Lattice constant a = 5.154 Å, c = 13.783 Å Density 7.45g/cm3 Color Colorless Mohs Hardness 5.5–6 on the Mohs scale Through the range 400–5000 nm Resistivity 1015wm
Dielectric constant es11/e0:39~43 es33/e0:42~43 et11/e0:51~54 et33/e0:43~46 Coefficient of thermal expansion aa = 1.61 × 10⁻⁶/K, ac = 4.1 × 10⁻⁶/K Refractive index no = 2.176, ne = 2.180 (@633 nm) Electro-optic coefficient r33 = 30.4 pm/V Heat Capacity (Cp) 100 J/k.mol Curie Temperature 610°C Melting point 1650°C Product Processing Metrics Effective Aperture >90% Dimensions Customized to customer specifications Diameter Tolerance +0 / -0.05 mm Dimensional Tolerance ±0.05 mm Protective Chamfer ≤0.2 × 45° Surface finish 10-5 S-D Flatness ≤λ/6 @ 632.8 nm Parallelism <20" Verticality ≤15′ Chipped edge < 0.1 mm Coating Customized to customer specifications
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