Polished Crystals and Boules

Crystal Boules

We cultivate and offer structurally flawless large boules devoid of defects, striations, or inclusions. Our boules boast an exceptionally low dislocation density, with sections entirely free of dislocations. With our oversized boules, we're capable of crafting exceptionally large optical elements.

Nonlinear Crystals

Our crystals are some of the world’s best from a quality perspective, and they’re also the market’s most extensive range, with a huge selection of coating types. Our nonlinear crystals are cut out from the as-grown crystal boules and polished using dedicated processes to improve the optical damage threshold.

Materials such as beta-barium borate (BBO), Cadmium Selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide, (CdS), potassium di-hydrogen phosphate (KDP), and potassium di-deuterium phosphate (KD*P) are available. All are fabricated on a made-to-order basis in-house using advanced orienting, sawing, grinding, and lapping technologies. From one-off to volume OEM applications, we supply bespoke crystals for research and industry use. Nonlinear crystals are ideal for light frequency conversion applications from the deep UV to the far-infrared.

• BBO (beta barium borate) crystals: Used for both nonlinear and electro-optic applications, from the near infrared to the deep ultraviolet. BBO is well suited for use in Pockels cells for both standard and large Q-switches that control energetic, short light pulses from high-power UV laser systems. Market applications of BBO crystals include manufacturing processes such as disk-mastering.
• TeO2 (tellurium dioxide): Ideal for acousto-optic (AO) devices, including rotators, modulators, resonators, and tuning filters. The resolution of AO devices made of TeO2 crystals increases several levels above others, and the crystal is widely used in astronomy, remote sensing, and many other application areas. TeO2 is a particularly good example of G&H’s unique vertical integration and unrivaled, all-encompassing control of every stage of the supply chain, from raw material growth to full sub-system completion. We grow the crystals in our Cleveland facility, we process and develop TeO2 AO cells in our Fremont facility, and from these we manufacture our award-winning Fiber-Q ® acousto-optic modulators in Torquay, UK. These are then integrated into sub-systems for sensing applications.
• LN (LiNbO3 :lithium niobate): Particularly suitable for acousto-optic (AO) devices, waveplates, retardation plates, and depolarizers. They are used extensively in the telecommunications and navigation market, for example in the manufacture of optical transmission sub-systems and fiber optic gyroscopes.
• CdS (cadmium sulfide) / CdSe (cadmium selenide): Used in infrared waveplates, which have many applications, including aerospace and defense (A&D), astronomy, biomedical, remote sensing, and surveillance.
• KDP (KH2PO4: potassium dihydrogen phosphate) / KD*P (KH2PO4: deuterated KDP 70): Typically used in Pockels cells and Q-switches for medical and aesthetic lasers, due to their high electro-optic coefficients. We offer 99% deuteration rather than the industry standard of 95%.