AgGa/sub 1-x/In/sub x/Se/sub 2/ nonlinear crystals for noncritical phase matching processes

Main problem while growing solid solution crystals consists in obtaining samples, which are homogeneous in chemical composition. In order to reduce chemical heterogeneity during crystallization of a solid solution in the AgGaSe/sub 2/-AgInSe/sub 2/ system, we made experiments in re-crystallization of an equilibrium solid phase with melt equilibrium with this phase under an insignificant temperature differential. Composition of the crystal being grown and the melt as well as crystallization temperature were determined according to a connode. In order to establish said correlation, we grew solid solution AgGa/sub 1-x/In/sub x/Se/sub 2/ crystals. On the elements cut from these crystals, we measured both wavelength of the second harmonic generation of the oo-e type with noncritical phase matching and wavelength of the anisotropy. SHG with nonlinear phase matching for different AgGa/sub 1-x/In/sub x/Se/sub 2/ elements was measured at working wavelengths 9.66, 10.18 and 10.72 /spl mu/m. More comprehensive investigations were performed on an AgGa/sub 1-x/In/sub x/Se/sub 2/ sample with x=0.25 concerning determination of its optical characteristics.