Low-temperature X-ray diffraction studies of thermal expansion in LiB3O5 single crystals

Lattice parameters of a nonlinear optical LiB3O5 crystal were measured by X -ray diffraction method in the temperature range 80-300 K. The values of th ermal expansion coefficients along the main crystallographic axes were dete rmined from the temperature dependence of the crystallographic parameters. A pronounced anisotropy in thermal expansion was established in the tempera ture range studied.