Structural, optical and electrical characteristics of a new NLO crystal

A new nonlinear optical (NLO) organic crystal 1-[4-({(E)-[4-(methylsulfanyl)pheny]methylidene}amino)phenyl]ethanone (MMP) has been grown by slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. The crystal structure of MMP was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. MMP crystallizes in non-centrosymmetric monoclinic system with space group P2(1). The FT-IR spectrum recorded for new crystal confirmed the presence of various functional groups in the material. MMP was found to be thermally stable up to 300 degrees C. The grown crystal was optically transparent in the wavelength range of 400-1100 nm. The second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency of the crystal was measured by the classical powder technique using Nd:YAG laser and was found to be 4.13 times more efficient than reference material, urea. Third order nonlinear parameters were measured by employing the Z-scan technique. The laser damage threshold for MMP crystal was determined to be 4.26 GW/cm(2). The Brewster angle technique was employed to measure the refractive index of the crystal and the values for green and red wavelengths were found to be 1.35 and 1.33, respectively. The dielectric and electrical measurements were carried out to study the different polarization mechanisms and conductivity of the crystal. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.