Czochralski(CZ) growth method features high temperature to yield crystals with low defect concentrations, is especially suited to grow oxide crystals. LNG Optics grow YAG, Vanadate, YLF and TGG crystals in house with automatic CZ growth stations. 

 

The crystal starting materials and dopants are melted in Iridium crucible that is heated by induction and the crystal is grown under precise control. Depending on crystal size, from one to eight weeks are required to complete the growth cycle. Once the growth process is completed, the crystal is slowly cooled to reduce the possibility of damage from high thermal stresses. 

 

LNG Optics continuously optimize the growth process to produce higher quality oxide crystals with lower as-grown stress and higher optical uniformity.

 

Fluxgrowth method (growth from high temperature solutions) yield single crystals of incongruently melting compounds. LNG Optics focus on in-house growth of LBO, BBO, KTP and KTA crystals for nonlinear and electro-opticapplications. 

 

In this method a molten solvent, or flux is used to dissolve a material or its constituents in a platinum crucible and crystallization of material is promoted either by slow cooling or by pulling along oriented seeds. Depending on crystal type and size, from two to three, to even nine months are required to complete the growth cycle. 

 

LNG Optics design and assemble the Flux growth stations in house, enables the strong capabilities to control and promote the crystals quality, and we are also developing new crystals, like CLBO  and KBBF.

 

After removal from crucible, the reference planes of raw boules are cut and prepolished, the defect-free region are carefully mapped, elements will be cut from the defect free portion, precisely shaped and polished according to the customers’ specifications. 

By deploying X-ray goniometers, LNG Optics assures to control the orientation of crystal axis precisely maintained from first cut through final products. Our skillful technicians are developing specialized fabrication techniques for crystal elements, to meet the requirement of the highest standards. 

LNG Optics also apply the skilled fabrication techniques, to make some precise none-crystalline optical components in house. 

With combination of advanced coating machines and experienced coating engineers as well as the latest thin film coating design techniques, our coating department is able to do a wide range of the best coatings. 

LNG Optics routinely ensures a tight quality control by a full set of optical tests: 

- Surface quality and cosmetic qualified by highly experienced eye inspection and 50X microscopes

- Flatness and wavefront distortion testing with Zygo interferometer

- Perpendicularity and wedge angles measured by goniometer

- Parallelism measurements with auto-collimate bench

- Birefringence interferometry

- Perkin-Elmer Lambda 900 UV/VIS/NIR Spectrophotometer

Equipped by above metrology instruments, LNG's Q.A. engineers have set series of complete standards for quality control of optical components. Every product is strictly inspected to meet our standards or specifications required by customers before it leaves our company.