Bulk growth of high quality nonlinear optical crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB)

Bulk single crystals of L-arginine tetrafluoroborate (L-AFB) a new semiorganic nonlinear optical material has been successfully grown from solution by the temperature lowering method. Solubility of L-AFB was measured in various solvents such as ethanol, methanol, acetone and water. L-AFB was found to have extremely low solubility in acetone, ethanol and methanol. Therefore, it was not feasible to grow L-AFB single crystals using these solvents. However, high quality crystals of L-AFB were successfully grown from aqueous solution by the temperature lowering method, even though the mother liqueur became viscous. Large single crystals of L-AFB were grown with dimensions 78 x 50 x 35 mm(3) in eight weeks. Growth rate and effects of seed orientation on morphologies of L-AFB crystals were studied. L-AFB crystals belong to a class of organic-inorganic complexes in which the high optical nonlinearity of a pure organic compound is combined with the favorable mechanical and thermally stable properties of an inorganic compound. Bulk single crystals of L-AFB are potential materials for applications in blue-green wavelength region. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.