Growth and Characterization of KDP and Its Analogs

Abstract

Crystals of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP, KH2PO4) and its deuterated analogs (DKDP, K(D x H1–x)2PO4) have been studied for their interesting electrical and optical properties, structural phase transitions, and ease of crystallization. They are the only nonlinear crystals currently applied in inertial confinement fusion (ICF), which has made them a hot topic of research for decades. To yield enough large crystals exceeding 50 cm in all three dimensions, the point-seed technique was recently developed. This method can grow crystals one order of magnitude faster than conventional methods. Recent developments in both the techniques and science of growth phenomena and defect formation under various conditions are described in this chapter, which also reviews significant advances in understanding of the fundamentals of KDP crystal growth, other growth methods to yield large high-quality crystals, growth defects and optical performance, and evaluations of crystal quality.