The AgGaGeS4 crystal is one of the solid solution crystal with extremely tremendous potential among the increasingly developed new nonlinear crystals. It inherits a high nonlinear optical coefficient(d31=15pm/V), a wide transmission range(0.5-11.5um) and low absorption coefficient(0.05cm-1 at 1064nm). Such excellent properties are of enormous benefit to frequency-shifting near-infrared 1.064um Nd:YAG laser into the Mid-infreard wavwlengths of 4-11um. Besides, it has a better performance than its parent crystals on the laser damage threshold and the range of phase-matching conditions, which is demonstrated by high laser damage threshold, making it compatible with sustained and high-power frequency conversion.
Due to its higher damage thresholdand greater variety of phase-matching schemes AgGaGeS4 could become an alternative to the widely spread now AgGaS2 in high power and specifific applications.
The properties of AgGaGeS4 crystal:
Surface damage threshold: 1.08J/cm2
Body damage threshold: 1.39J/cm2