SBIR Phase II: Hydrothermal Growth of Ultra-High Performance Nd:YVO4 Laser Crystals

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将专注于开发用于固态激光器的钒酸钇（Nd：YVO4）单晶生长的商业工艺。这项研究将产生商业上可行的条件，生长大梨单晶适用于二极管泵浦固体激光器。水热法是一种低温生长技术，与传统方法相比，其导致晶体含有更少的热应变、更少的缺陷和更高的均匀性。这些缺陷联合收割机导致相当大的光损耗和伴随的性能降低。水热技术具有较慢的生长动力学，并且需要化学开发以实现经济上可行的生长。在第一阶段项目中，确定了导致合适单晶的初步生长条件。这些条件包括近似的温度范围、各种起始材料、晶种和矿化剂浓度。 在第二阶段项目中，将系统地优化生长条件，以提供合适的传输速率和晶体质量。一旦形成可接受的生长，将评估所得晶锭的性能效率和损耗。 随着公司向市场推出现有晶体生长方法无法生长的新的更高性能晶体材料，商业利益将显现。此外，新的激光材料将捐赠给克莱姆森大学，用于设计新的激光器件和腔体，支持大学参与新兴的美国光子学联盟，包括克莱姆森、北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校的光电中心、克莱姆森大学的COMSET和卡罗莱纳微光学联盟。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will focus on the development of a commercial process for the growth of Neodymium Yttrium Vanadate (Nd: YVO4) single crystals for use in solid-state lasers. This research will generate the commercially viable conditions for growth of large boules of single crystals suitable for use in diode pumped solid-state lasers. The hydrothermal method is a low temperature growth technique that leads to crystals containing less thermal strain, much fewer defects and greater homogeneity than conventional methods. These defects combine to cause considerable optical loss and concomitant reduction in performance. The hydrothermal technique has slower growth kinetics and requires chemical development for economically viable growth. In the Phase I project, preliminary growth conditions that lead to suitable single crystals were identified. These conditions include approximate thermal ranges, a variety of starting materials, seed crystals and mineralizer concentrations. In the Phase II project growth conditions will be systematically optimized to provide suitable transport rates and crystal quality. Once an acceptable growth is developed, the resulting boules will be evaluated for performance efficiency and loss. Commercially benefits will emerge as the company introduces new higher performance crystal materials to the market that cannot be grown by existing crystal growth methods. In addition, new laser materials will be donated to Clemson University for design of new laser devices and cavities supporting the University's participation in the emerging photonics Coalition of the Carolinas that includes Clemson, the OptoElectronics Center at UNC-Charlotte, COMSET at Clemson University, and the Carolina MicroOptics Consortium.