CZOCHRALSKI AND MODIFIED BRIDGMAN-STOCKBARGER GROWTH OF PURE, CD2+ AND ND3+ DOPED BENZIL SINGLE-CRYSTALS

Pure, Cd2+ and Nd3+-doped benzil C6H5COCOC6H5 have been grown from melt using the Czochralski and modified Bridgman-Stockbarger methods. Angle-tuned second harmonic generation of pure benzil from Nd:YAG laser radiation of lambda = 1.06 mum with a conversion efficiency eta = I2omega/I(omega) = 0.4% has been demonstrated. We have used a Nd:YAG pulse laser to measure the radiation damage threshold as 15.9 MW/cm2 (c-axis) and 23.9 MW/cm2 (a-axis) under the conditions that laser pulse width is 10 ns. Under the same conditions, the conversion efficiency of Nd3+ and Cd2+-doped benzil, eta = I2omega/I(omega) = 1.1%, has been demonstrated. The radiation threshold is higher than for pure benzil crystals.