A method for growing a crystalline composition, the first crystalline composition may include gallium and nitrogen. The crystalline composition may have an infrared absorption peak at about 3175 cm.sup.1, with an absorbance per unit thickness of greater than about 0.01 cm.sup.1. In one embodiment, the composition may have an amount of oxygen present in a concentration of less than about 310.sup.18 per cubic centimeter, and may be free of two-dimensional planar boundary defects in a determined volume of the first crystalline composition.

A method for growing a crystalline composition, the first crystalline composition may include gallium and nitrogen. The crystalline composition may have an infrared absorption peak at about 3175 cm.sup.1, with an absorbance per unit thickness of greater than about 0.01 cm.sup.1. In one embodiment, the composition may have an amount of oxygen present in a concentration of less than about 310.sup.18 per cubic centimeter, and may be free of two-dimensional planar boundary defects in a determined volume of the first crystalline composition.

An oxychloride infrared nonlinear optical crystal and the preparation method and use thereof, the optical crystal has a general chemical formula of Pb.sub.2+xOCl.sub.2+2x, therein 0<x<0.139 or 0.141<x<0.159 or 0.161<x0.6. The crystal is non-centrosymmetric, belongs to orthonormal system with space group of Fmm2, cell parameter is a=35.4963(14)0.05 , b=5.8320(2)0.05 , c=16.0912(6)0.05 . The crystal is prepared by high temperature melt method or flux method. The crystal has a strong second harmonic generation efficiency of 4 times that of KDP (KH.sub.2PO.sub.4) tested by Kurtz method, it is phase machable, transparent in the range of 0.34-7 m. The laser damage threshold is 10 times that of the current commercial infrared nonlinear optical crystal AgGaS.sub.2. No crystalline water exists in lead oxychloride, and it is stable in the air and has good thermal stability.

An oxychloride infrared nonlinear optical crystal and the preparation method and use thereof, the optical crystal has a general chemical formula of Pb.sub.2+xOCl.sub.2+2x, therein 0<x<0.139 or 0.141<x<0.159 or 0.161<x0.6. The crystal is non-centrosymmetric, belongs to orthonormal system with space group of Fmm2, cell parameter is a=35.4963(14)0.05 , b=5.8320(2)0.05 , c=16.0912(6)0.05 . The crystal is prepared by high temperature melt method or flux method. The crystal has a strong second harmonic generation efficiency of 4 times that of KDP (KH.sub.2PO.sub.4) tested by Kurtz method, it is phase machable, transparent in the range of 0.34-7 m. The laser damage threshold is 10 times that of the current commercial infrared nonlinear optical crystal AgGaS.sub.2. No crystalline water exists in lead oxychloride, and it is stable in the air and has good thermal stability.

The present invention relates to a barium tetraborate compound and a barium tetraborate non-linear optical crystal, and a preparation method and use thereof, wherein the chemical formulae of the barium tetraborate compound and the non-linear optical crystal thereof are both BaB.sub.4O.sub.7, with a molecular weight of 292.58; the barium tetraborate non-linear optical crystal has a non-centrosymmetric structure, which belongs to a hexagonal system, and has a space group P6.sub.5 and lattice parameters of a=6.7233(6) , c=18.776(4) , V=735.01(17) .sup.3, and Z=6, wherein the powder frequency-doubled effect thereof is two times that of KDP (KH.sub.2PO.sub.4), and the ultraviolet cut-off edge is lower than 170 nm. The barium tetraborate compound is synthesized by a solid-phase reaction method; the barium tetraborate non-linear optical crystal is grown by a high-temperature molten solution method; and the crystal has a moderate mechanical hardness, is easy to cut, polish and store, and is widely applicable in the non-linear optics of a double-frequency doubling generator, an upper frequency converter, a lower frequency converter or an optical parameter oscillator etc.