Inclusion Analysis and Absorption Measurement in Nonlinear Crystals. LAURA SMITH (Merced Community College Atwater, CA 95301) ZHI LIAO (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550)

Yttrium calcium oxyborate (YCOB) is a newly developed nonlinear optical crystal used for second harmonic generation in the Mercury laser. As with any new crystal, optical characterization of the material properties needs to be fully investigated. We are developing two new techniques to detect inclusions and measure optical absorption. With the side illuminating detection examination (SIDE) method, we hope to identify and map the size, density, and the morphology of inclusions. The multi-pass absorption technique (MPAT) will be used to help determine the absorption coefficient of various finished crystalline pieces at near-infrared wavelengths.