Evaluation of suitability of AMT single crystal for optical limiting applications by performing structural, dielectric, mechanical, optical and third order nonlinearity characterization studies

Ammonium D,L-Tartrate (AMT) single crystal for optical and photonic device application was analyzed with different characterization studies. The AMT crystal was grown by low cost conventional solution growth technique. The unit cell parameters were obtained from single crystal XRD analysis and the crystal system is confirmed to be orthorhombic with noncentrosymmetric space group P2(1)2(1)2(1). The crystalline perfection evaluated by high resolution X-ray diffractometry (HRXRD) enumerates the quality of the crystal is good. The optical transparency window of AMT crystal has 78% transmittance from 234 nm to 1100 nm region and has lower cut-off wavelength of 234 nm was analyzed by UV-visible spectral studies. The hardness number (H-v), yield strength (sigma(y)) and elastic stiffness constant (C-11) were evaluated from the hardness data using Vickers hardness tester. Dielectric study indicates the moderate dielectric constant and low dielectric loss of AMT crystal which are required properties to develop optoelectronic devices. The laser damage threshold value of AMT is 0.238 GW/m(2) and photoconductivity study reveals the positive photoconductivity nature of the AMT crystal. The particle size dependent SHG studies were performed using Nd:YAG laser. The SHG efficiency of AMT is found to be 1.3 times greater than the standard KDP crystal. Third order nonlinear susceptibility chi((3)) of AMT was assessed using an open aperture and closed aperture Z-scan technique and the value is 6.71 x 10(-6) esu. AMT crystal is found to exhibit good optical power limiting. The present work indicates that AMT is a potential material for optoelectronic and nonlinear optical devices. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.