Nonlinear Optical Crystals for Ultraviolet and Infrared Light Conversion
This community develops single crystals and synthetic materials that convert laser light to different wavelengths, primarily for ultraviolet and infrared applications.
The work centers on growing and characterizing single crystals with strong second-harmonic generation and large birefringence. Recurring materials include borates, chalcogenides, and halides, often incorporating rare-earth elements, antimony, or alkali metals. Researchers focus on optimizing crystal structure, thermal stability, and optical anisotropy to achieve high performance in deep ultraviolet and infrared regimes. The primary goal is to engineer materials that can efficiently generate specific wavelengths of light for laser systems and optical devices.
Barium research shows the highest share of this community's output at 1.3%, followed by Rubidium at 1.3% and Beryllium at 1.0%. Barium also contributes the highest paper count within this group, with 391 papers.
The community comprises 3,909 papers, published most frequently in Inorganic Chemistry, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, and Spectrochimica Acta Part A.
Recent work includes the development of vacuum ultraviolet second-harmonic generation crystals, hybrid zinc-based halides with giant optical anisotropy, and rare-earth borate fluorides for ultraviolet nonlinear optics.
Papers behind this description
- Borates: A Rich Source for Optical Materials — Chemical Reviews, 2020 — doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00796
- Decoupling the SHG‐Birefringence Trade‐off in UV NLO Materials via Triple‐Control Coordination Engineering: Achieving Synergistic Performance Optimization — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025 — doi:10.1002/anie.202509290
- Enhanced UV Nonlinear Optical Properties in Layered Germanous Phosphites through Functional Group Sequential Construction — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024 — doi:10.1002/anie.202409093
- Vacuum ultraviolet second-harmonic generation in NH4B4O6F crystal — Nature, 2026 — doi:10.1038/s41586-025-10007-z
- Unconventional Heterobidentate Coordination of 4‐Hydroxypyridine Leading to Remarkably Strong Second‐Harmonic Generation in Zn(C 5 H 4 NO) 2 — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024 — doi:10.1002/anie.202420810
- Recent advances and future perspectives on rare-earth-based nonlinear optical materials with π-conjugated [XO3] (X = B, C, N) units — Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2024.216053
- Na[B 3 IO 7 (OH)] and Na 2 B 4 IO 9 : Explorations of Boroiodates with Strong Second Harmonic Generation Response and Large Birefringence — Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2025 — doi:10.1021/jacs.5c01673
- Rare-earth-based chalcogenides and their derivatives: an encouraging IR nonlinear optical material candidate — Chemical Science, 2024 — doi:10.1039/d4sc00697f
- “Three‐in‐One”: A New Hg‐Based Selenide Hg 7 P 2 Se 12 Exhibiting Wide Infrared Transparency Range and Strong Nonlinear Optical Effect — Advanced Functional Materials, 2023 — doi:10.1002/adfm.202314933
- Toward the ultraviolet (UV) or deep-UV nonlinear optical crystals: The combination of π-conjugated planar [XY3] and tetrahedral [XY4] — Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2024.215664
- [C 2 N 4 H 7 O][NH 2 SO 3 ]: High‐Performance Ultraviolet Nonlinear Optical Crystal with Ditrigon Coupled Guanylurea Group — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025 — doi:10.1002/anie.202424153
- Old tree blossoms anew: Research progress on the structures and optical properties of ultraviolet selenites — Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2024.216000
- Exceptional Enhancement of Optical Anisotropy Achieved via the Strategy of Combining Rigid Groups with High Symmetry and π‐Conjugated Organic Groups in Hybrid Fluorides — Advanced Science, 2025 — doi:10.1002/advs.202515170
- Hybrid Zinc‒Based Halides with Giant Optical Anisotropy via Protonation‒Engineered π ‒Conjugated Organic Group — Advanced Functional Materials, 2025 — doi:10.1002/adfm.202525860
- Strategic Oxygen‐Substitution in Perfluorinated Ce(IV) Coordination Frameworks Triggers Dual‐Wavelength Nonlinear Optical Materials With Exceptional Performances — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2026 — doi:10.1002/anie.202521066
- Unlocking Advanced UV NLO Crystals in Rare‐Earth Metal Borate Fluorides via [B 3 O 6 ]‐Mediated Structural Modulation — Advanced Functional Materials, 2025 — doi:10.1002/adfm.202520516
- KF·[SO 2 (NH 2 ) 2 ]: the First Deep‐Ultraviolet Transparent Sulfonamide Fluoride Nonlinear Optical Crystal with Novel Cairo Pentagonal Structure — Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025 — doi:10.1002/anie.202516953
- Maximizing the second-harmonic generation response via coordination-induced localization of nonbonding electrons — Chemical Science, 2025 — doi:10.1039/d5sc06905j