Diamond-like semiconductors (DLSs) have applications in many areas such as photovoltaics and nonlinear optics. All diamond-like semiconductors possess a noncentrosymmetric structure and are potential candidates for second harmonic generation. Properties of these materials such as second-order nonlinearity in the IR can be tuned by employing a wide range of predictable compositions. The majority of benchmark IR nonlinear optical (NLO) materials are DLSs. Compounds of the formula Li2MSnS4 (where M = a divalent tetrahedrally coordinated metal) were prepared by high-temperature solid-state synthesis under vacuum. One of these compounds, Li2CdSnS4, was prepared as a phase-pure material as determined by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction and Rietveld refinement. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy shows that the compound exhibits a direct optical bandgap of 2.718(1) eV and an Urbach energy of 0.1994(6) eV. The compound is relatively transparent (75-80%) from approximately 0.6 to 25 μm. Differential thermal analysis shows that the compound melts at about 917 °C. The material is a promising candidate for nonlinear optical applications due to the wide bandgap, broad range of optical transparency, relatively high thermal stability, and stability under ambient conditions.

Optical and thermal properties of lithium-containing thiostannate with potential nonlinear optical applications

249th National Meeting (2015)

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