Beta-barium Borate BBO Description
Alpha-Barium Borate (barium metaborate) is a nonlinear crystalline solid used in photo optic applications. Barium borate (BBO) is a nonhydroscopic and chemically stable material. Crystallization takes place in two phases, alpha and beta, and the phase transition temperature equals 925±5°C. The higher temperature phase-alpha is centric symmetrical within its crystal structure, whose square nonlinearity tensor components are identically equal to zero. In contrast to the alpha-phase, the Beta-phase of BBO is non-centric symmetrical and the crystals grown in this phase possess nonlinear optical properties.
Beta-barium Borate BBO Specification
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Aperture
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1x1 ~ 15x15mm
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Length
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0.01 ~ 25mm
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Phase Matching Angle θ and φ
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Determined by different kinds of harmonic generation
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Phase Matching Type
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Type I or Type II
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End Configuration
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Flat or Brewster or Specified
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Coating
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P-coatings, AR-coatings, and mounts
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Angle Tolerance
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Δθ< ± 0.5°; Δφ< ±0.5°
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Dimension Tolerance
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(W ± 0.1mm) x (H ± 0.1mm) x (L + 0.2mm/-0.1mm)
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Flatness
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λ/8 @ 633nm
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Surface Quality
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10/5 scratch/dig per MIL-O-13830A
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Parallelism
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better than 20 arc seconds
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Perpendicularity
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5 arc minutes
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Wavefront Distortion
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less than λ/8 @ 633nm
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Clear Aperture
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> 90% central area
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Beta-barium Borate BBO Applications
- Second, third, fourth and fifth harmonic generation of Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers
- Frequency-doubling, -tripling and -mixing of Dye lasers
- Second, third and fourth harmonic generation of Ti: Sapphire and Alexandrite lasers
- Optical parametric amplifier (OPA) and optical parametric oscillators (OPO)
- Frequency-doubling of Argon ion, Cu-vapor and Ruby lasers.
Beta-barium Borate BBO Packing
Beta-barium Borate (BBO) are securely packaged in moisture-resistant, anti-static, and shock-absorbing materials. Custom packaging options, such as cleanroom packaging, are also available for sensitive applications.
Beta-barium Borate BBO FAQs
Q1 What makes BBO ideal for nonlinear optical applications?
BBO is ideal for nonlinear optical applications due to:
- Its wide transparency range (190 nm to 3500 nm).
- High nonlinear optical coefficient for efficient frequency conversion.
- Broad phase-matching capability for tunable wavelength generation.
- High damage threshold, suitable for high-power laser systems.
Q2 Are BBO crystals suitable for tunable laser systems?
Yes, BBO crystals are widely used in optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) and optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) to generate tunable wavelengths across a wide spectrum, including UV, visible, and IR ranges.
Q3 What makes BBO ideal for scientific research?
BBO’s broad phase-matching range, high nonlinear coefficient, and low absorption make it a preferred choice for cutting-edge research in quantum optics, spectroscopy, and ultrafast laser physics.
