Harmonic generation in bismuth triborate (BiB3O6)

We report a study of second- and third-harmonic generation in BiB3O6 (BiBO). The effective nonlinearity, phase-matching angle, acceptance bandwidth, and walk-off are calculated and analyzed within the principal planes of the optical indicatrix. In the experiment, the phase-matched harmonic generation is investigated within the xz and yz planes. Also, the temperature dependence of the noncritical phase matching for laser radiation propagating along the z axis is measured for second-harmonic generation (SHG) at crystal temperatures of 25-265 degrees C. The corresponding wavelengths of the laser radiation are in the range of 1.16 to 1.34 mu m. In addition, SHG of 1342-nm radiation of a q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser system is investigated for noncritical and critical phase matching. The achieved conversion efficiencies are 59% and 20%, respectively. Besides SHG, third-harmonic generation (THG) of 1064-nm, ns laser pulses is investigated. The measured conversion efficiency is as high as 34%. For THG the properties of BiBO are compared with those of BBO and LBO.