Bulk growth of high quality nonlinear optical crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB)

Bulk single crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB) a new semiorga nic nonlinear optical material has been successfully grown from solution by the temperature lowering method. Solubility of L-AFB was measured in vario us solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and water. L-AFB was found t o have extremely low solubility in acetone, ethanol and methanol. Therefore , it was not feasible to grow L-AFB single crystals using these solvents. H owever, high quality crystals of L-AFB were successfully grown from aqueous solution by the temperature lowering method, even though the mother liqueu r became viscous. Large single crystals of L-AFB were grown with dimensions 78 x 50 x 35 mm(3) in eight weeks. Growth rate and effects of seed orienta tion on morphologies of L-AFB crystals were studied. L-AFB crystals belong to a class of organic-inorganic complexes in which the high optical nonline arity of a pure organic compound is combined with the favorable mechanical and thermally stable properties of an inorganic compound. Bulk single cryst als of L-AFB are potential materials for applications in blue-green wavelen gth region. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.