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Using a unique interferometer for the simultaneous independent measurements of the variation of refractive index with temperature (n(T)) and thermal expansion, a wide range of technologically important optical materials will be studied. The optical measurements provide a highly sensitive probe of the underlying physics, so an extensive range of physical phenomena can be investigated via study of n(T). Novel doped nonlinear optical crystals eg, Nb:KTiOPO4, & In: KTiOAsO4, will be studied both to provide much-needed physical data (thermooptic and thermal expansion coefficients, refractive indices) and to examine how the doping affects the physics of the materials. Crystals in new device formats, eg, periodically poled crystals of KTiOPO4, LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 will be investigated to examine how the post-growth processing affects the physical properties. The basic physics of ferroelectrics, which are new optical materials, will be studied to aid the growth and development of improved crystals for optical devices. To model the thermooptic data and develop theory, information about how the structure changes with temperature is required so experiments at Daresbury and ILL will be undertaken. Furthermore, measurements of the optical coefficients of a number of novel materials from collaborators, to include laser hosts and ferroelectric crystals, will be performed. Extension of the research to the study of n as a function of stress will be made.Using a unique interferometer for the simultaneous independent measurements of the variation of refractive index with temperature (n(T)) and thermal expansion, a wide range of technologically important optical materials will be studied. The optical measurements provide a highly sensitive probe of the underlying physics, so an extensive range of physical phenomena can be investigated via study of n(T). Novel doped nonlinear optical crystals eg, Nb:KTiOPO4, & In: KTiOAsO4, will be studied both to provide much-needed physical data (thermooptic and thermal expansion coefficients, refractive indices) and to examine how the doping affects the physics of the materials. Crystals in new device formats, eg, periodically poled crystals of KTiOPO4, LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 will be investigated to examine how the post-growth processing affects the physical properties. The basic physics of ferroelectrics, which are new optical materials, will be studied to aid the growth and development of improved crystals for optical devices. To model the thermooptic data and develop theory, information about how the structure changes with temperature is required so experiments at Daresbury and ILL will be undertaken. Furthermore, measurements of the optical coefficients of a number of novel materials from collaborators, to include laser hosts and ferroelectric crystals, will be performed. Extension of the research to the study of n as a function of stress will be made.
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