LiInSe2: A biaxial ternary chalcogenide crystal for nonlinear optical applications in the midinfrared

Single crystals of lithium selenoindate (LiInSe2) are grown by the Bridgman–Stockbarger technique up to sizes of 10 mm in diameter and 20 mm in length. The different phases have color from yellow (as grown) to dark red (after annealing) but all have the same wurtzite type structure mm2 with slightly differing cell parameters. The band gap for the yellow phase at 300 K is at 2.86–2.87 eV. The red color is attributed to point defects and can be removed by proper illumination. Sellmeier equations are constructed for the 0.5–11 μm range and their validity is checked with second harmonic generation which provides first estimations of the nonlinear coefficients of LiInSe2. The potential of LiInSe2 is compared to that of the widely spread and technologically mature AgGaS2.

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