COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF DOPING IONS OF YTTRIUM AND BORON FORMATION OF DEFECTS IN LITHIUM NIOBATE CRYSTALS

Кристалл ниобата лития, являющийся широко используемым и весьма востребованным в настоящее время нелинейно-оптическим материалом, примечателен своей способностью к варьирования широкого спектра сегнетоэлектрических и нелинейно-оптических характеристик в зависимости от типа и концентрации примесного иона, а также от соотношения Li / Nb . На основе разработанного нами подхода к моделированию кластеров в кристалле ниобата лития, в котором рост кластера идёт не элементарными ячейками, а кислородными октаэдрами, проведён сравнительный анализ особенностей внедрения в кристалл примесных ионов иттрия и бора с одинаковым зарядом +3 . Показано, что встраивание, вследствие различного ионного радиуса, идёт по двум механизмам: если для металла иттрия действует обычный механизм, когда примесной ион локализуется внутри кислородного октаэдра, то ион неметаллического элемента бора встраивается в тетраэдрические пустоты структуры, а именно в кислородные плоскости, образующие октаэдр. При этом влияние данных примесных ионов на одну из важнейших характеристик ниобата лития оказывается диаметрально противоположным: иттрий усиливает фоторефрактивный эффект, бор -понижает, что необходимо учитывать при направлении целевого использования кристаллов ниобата лития. Lithium niobate crystals, which are a widely used and highly demanded as nonlinear optical material, are remarkable for their ability to vary a wide range of ferroelectric and nonlinear optical characteristics depending on the type and concentration of the impurity ion, as well as on the Li / Nb ratio. Based on our approach to modeling clusters in the lithium niobate crystal, in which the cluster grows not by unit cells, but by oxygen octahedra, we have carried out a comparative analysis of the features of the incorporation of impurity ions of yttrium and boron with the same charge +3 into the crystal. It is shown that due to the different ionic radii the incorporation proceeds by to two mechanisms. If for yttrium the usual mechanism operates, when the impurity ion is localized inside the oxygen octahedron. The ion of boron, i.e. a nonmetallic element, is incorporated into the tetrahedral voids of the structure, namely, into the oxygen planes forming the octahedron. In this case, the influence of these impurity ions on one of the most important characteristics of lithium niobate turns out to be diametrically opposite: yttrium enhances the photorefractive effect, boron decreases it, which must be taken into account in the direction of targeted use of lithium niobate crystals.

Comparative analysis of incidence of dry eye syndrome after ReLEx SMILE and FemtoLASIK keratorefractive surgeries

The main factor in pathogenesis of postoperative dry eye syndrome (DES) is damage to subbasal nerve plexus and stromal nerve endings. Taking into account the different principles of photorefractive effect on cornea of FemtoLASIK and ReLEx SMILE technologies, we decided on our own clinical experience to evaluate incidence of this undesirable complication. Purpose. Comparative study of frequency and timing of relief of postoperative DES after FemtoLASIK and ReLEx SMILE in patients with myopia. Material and methods. The study involved 32 patients (64 eyes) with varying degrees of myopia. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 1st group - 17 patients (34 eyes) after FemtoLASIK surgery, 2nd group - 15 people (30 eyes) after ReLEx SMILE procedure. Control group consist of 15 patients with comparable myopia who had not undergone refractive surgery was also observed. Patients underwent an assessment of the OSDI index, Norn and Schirmer tests, as well as degree of staining of anterior ocular surface 1, 6 and 12 months after refractive surgery. Results. There was statistically significant difference in total tear production, in tear breakup time (TBUT) and in the OSDI index between study groups 1 month after surgery in favor of ReLEx SMILE procedure. After 6 months, TBUT after FemtoLASIK significantly differed from control values. 12 months after surgery, studied parameters did not differ significantly from control. Conclusion. According to our datas, ReLEx SMILE procedure has lower negative effect on ocular surface compared to FemtoLASIK technique, which is manifested by less pronounced subjective symptoms of DES, as well as their faster relief. Key words: dry eye syndrome, ReLEx SMILE, FemtoLASIK.

Bidirectional interconversion of microwave and light with thin-film lithium niobate

Superconducting cavity electro-optics presents a promising route to coherently convert microwave and optical photons and distribute quantum entanglement between superconducting circuits over long-distance. Strong Pockels nonlinearity and high-performance optical cavity are the prerequisites for high conversion efficiency. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) offers these desired characteristics. Despite significant recent progresses, only unidirectional conversion with efficiencies on the order of 10−5 has been realized. In this article, we demonstrate the bidirectional electro-optic conversion in TFLN-superconductor hybrid system, with conversion efficiency improved by more than three orders of magnitude. Our air-clad device architecture boosts the sustainable intracavity pump power at cryogenic temperatures by suppressing the prominent photorefractive effect that limits cryogenic performance of TFLN, and reaches an efficiency of 1.02% (internal efficiency of 15.2%). This work firmly establishes the TFLN-superconductor hybrid EO system as a highly competitive transduction platform for future quantum network applications.

Boron Influence on Defect Structure and Properties of Lithium Niobate Crystals

Defect structure of nominally pure lithium niobate crystals grown from a boron doped charge have been studied by Raman and optical spectroscopy, laser conoscopy, and photoinduced light scattering. An influence of boron dopant on optical uniformity, photoelectrical fields values, and band gap have been also studied by these methods in LiNbO3 crystals. Despite a high concentration of boron in the charge (up to 2 mol%), content in the crystal does not exceed 10−4 wt%. We have calculated that boron incorporates only into tetrahedral voids of crystal structure as a part of groups [BO3]3−, which changes O–O bonds lengths in O6 octahedra. At this oxygen–metal clusters MeO6 (Me: Li, Nb) change their polarizability. The clusters determine optically nonlinear and ferroelectric properties of a crystal. Chemical interactions in the system Li2O–Nb2O5–B2O3 have been considered. Boron, being an active element, structures lithium niobate melt, which significantly influences defect structure and physical properties of a crystal grown from such a melt. At the same time, amount of defects NbLi and concentration of OH groups in LiNbO3:B is close to that in stoichiometric crystals; photorefractive effect, optical, and compositional uniformity on the contrary is higher.

Bidirectional interconversion of microwave and light with thin-film lithium niobate

Superconducting cavity electro-optics presents a promising route to coherently convert microwave and optical photons and distribute quantum entanglement between superconducting circuits over long-distance. Strong Pockels nonlinearity and high-performance optical cavity are the prerequisites for high conversion efficiency. Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) offers these desired characteristics. Despite significant recent progresses, only unidirectional conversion with efficiencies orders of magnitude lower than expected has been realized. In this article, we demonstrate the first bidirectional electro-optic conversion in TFLN-superconductor hybrid system, with conversion efficiency improved by more than three orders of magnitude. Our new air-clad device architecture boosts the sustainable intracavity pump power at cryogenic temperatures by suppressing the prominent photorefractive effect that limits cryogenic performance of TFLN, and reaches an efficiency of 1.02% (internal efficiency of 15.2%). This work firmly establishes the TFLN-superconductor hybrid EO system as a highly competitive transduction platform for future quantum network applications.