Third-order nonlinear optical response and laser damage threshold studies of solution-grown calcium oxalate crystals
摘要
Calcium oxalate monohydrate (CaC2O4·H2O) single crystals were successfully grown by the slow evaporation solution growth method under ambient conditions. The crystalline quality and phase purity were confirmed using Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), revealing a monoclinic crystal system with space group P2₁/c and preferential orientation. The sharp diffraction peaks and low microstrain values indicate good crystalline quality. Optical absorption analysis shows high transparency in the visible region with a wide optical band gap of 4.27 eV, characteristic of an insulating material. The refractive index and birefringence analyses confirm optical anisotropy associated with the monoclinic structure and hydrogen bonding. The nonlinear optical properties were investigated using the Z-scan technique with a 532 nm laser source. The open-aperture Z-scan results exhibit a symmetric valley profile, indicating third-order nonlinear absorption mechanisms such as two-photon absorption (TPA) or reverse saturable absorption (RSA), arising primarily from defect-assisted electronic transitions. Laser damage probability analysis based on Weibull statistics indicates moderate resistance to laser-induced damage with a defined threshold. The evaluated third-order susceptibility (χ3), nonlinear refractive index (n2), and nonlinear absorption coefficient (β) confirm the presence of third-order nonlinear optical response in calcium oxalate monohydrate despite its centrosymmetric nature. These results indicate that the grown crystal may serve as a potential material for optical limiting and related third-order nonlinear optical applications, subject to further device-level investigation.