US Firm Developed "Game Changer" Laser Crystal, Breaks Chinese Embargo

[Dungeness]

Who is copying who this time?


KBBF—taking laser light places it’s never been before


Potassium beryllium fluoroborate (KBBF) is a non-linear optical crystal that can transform laser light to an unprecedented 176nm (deep UV) for use in solid state lasers. Taking 15 years and spending the equivalent of millions of U.S. dollars, development of the first KBBF crystals was accomplished by a group of Chinese researchers under the direction of Dr. Chuangtian Chen. The Chinese initially shared their KBBF crystals with the research community beyond China’s borders. However, in 2009 the PRC, realizing the strategic significance of KBBF, halted the external distribution of the crystal. In collaboration with Clemson University, Advanced Photonic Crystals (APC) has developed a U.S. patented hydrothermal crystal growth process to produce the KBBF crystal here in the United States, becoming the nation’s only domestic source of this strategic material. The samples evaluated and tested to date have demonstrated that APC’s KBBF crystals are comparable to, and in many parameters exceed, the quality of the Chinese equivalents, and they can be produced at significantly lower cost.

KBBF has up to twice the UV performance of BBO in high power, ultrafast laser applications. For improved U.S. defense and homeland security threat detection, for rejuvenating U.S. superconductor research, and for enabling enhanced metrology capabilities, KBBF is a “game changer”. Currently under development at APC.



http://apcrystal.com/_content/portfolio/KBBF.pdf

 

[Dungeness]

15年努力 美国打破中国激光晶体封锁 然而中国新一代晶体已经成功

2016年2月早些时候，美国APC（先进光学晶体）公司网站发布声明，宣布该公司与克莱门森大学合作，用15年的时间终于研制出氟代硼铍酸钾晶体（KBBF），这种激光晶体能够用于制造深紫外激光器。声明中说，2009年中国开始禁止向国外提供这种具有战略意义的晶体。该公司声明称，他们制造的晶体可以与中国制造的晶体相媲美，在部分关键技术领域超过中国同类材料。声明中表示，这种晶体将提高美国探测国防威胁的能力，同时也将为科学研究和测量技术提供新的能力，这种材料被认为是“游戏规则改变者”。

不过，中国在这个领域并没有坐等美国的赶超。据中科院网站报道，2015年8月，中国福建物构所发现新型无铍深紫外非线性光学晶体材料LSBO。报道称，新发现的LSBO晶体有望成为下一代深紫外非线性光学晶体的优秀候选材料。

2009年美国《自然》杂志文章《中国藏起了这种晶体》报道中国禁运KBBF晶体

美国APC公司网站上发表的声明称：

KBBF是一种非线性光学晶体材料，它能够将激光转化为无可比拟的176纳米波长（深紫外）激光，从而可以制造出深紫外固体激光器。这一项目花费了15年时间和数以百万计的美元。世界上第一块KBBF晶体是由中国科学院陈创天院士领导的研究组（1990年发现）制造出来的，中国最初向全世界的研究者开放提供KBBF晶体。然而，到了2009年，中国意识到这种晶体的战略意义，随即停止对外出口。美国APC公司（联邦国有企业）与克莱门森大学合作从当时开始研制这种晶体，到今日APC公司成为了美国国内唯一生产这种战略性材料的企业。APC公司的KBBF晶体现在已经经过了测试和评估，并展示出了可与中国制造的同类产品相媲美的性能，并且在部分领域有所超越，这将大幅度降低这种材料的成本。

KBBF在高功率状态下紫外线性能比上一代BBO晶体性能好两倍，并能够用于制造超高速激光扫描设备，这将大大提高美国国防和国土安全威胁探测能力，对美国科学研究和精密测量能力的提高而言，KBBF具有“规则改变者”的意义。目前APC公司还在继续进行这种产品的开发。

（APC公司声明译完）

观察者网军事评论员表示，据国内相关资料，我国最早在1990年发现KBBF晶体，这种晶体是我国科技工作者首先提出并研制成功，在紫外线波段性能全面优于当时已经发现的任何材料。它的研制成功在国外引起巨大反响。

1990年时中国用这种材料实现了低至204.8纳米相位匹配的二次谐波的发生。它是用于短脉冲（<1纳秒）、高功率（1兆瓦）激光器的很有希望的材料，在红外、可见、紫外光区的激光倍频、和频及光参量振荡器件中有广泛的应用。

美国APC公司发表研制成功KBBF晶体声明

2013年9月9日，中科院网站公布，我国深紫外固态激光源系列前沿装备日前通过验收，我国成为世界上唯一能够制造实用化深紫外全固态激光器的国家。

报道提到，上世纪90年代初，在发现硼酸盐系列非线性光学晶体后，中科院院士陈创天的研究团队经过十余年的努力，在国际上首先生长出大尺寸KBBF晶体。

KBBF晶体是目前唯一可直接倍频产生深紫外激光的非线性光学晶体，是在非线性光学晶体研究领域中，继硼酸钡、三硼酸锂晶体后的第三个“中国产”非线性光学晶体。

关于KBBF晶体基础上制造的深紫外波段激光的应用，文章提到，如今，这8台科学仪器已经在石墨烯、高温超导、拓扑绝缘体、宽禁带半导体和催化剂等研究中获得了重要结果。

以深紫外激光光发射电子显微镜(PEEM)为例，目前国际上最先进的光发射电子显微镜空间分辨率最高为20nm，而采用全固态激光器后能提高到3.9nm。中科院大连化物所利用这台仪器开展了石墨烯/Ru(0001)表面插层反应原位观测，为石墨烯等光电子材料发展和应用提供了强有力的研究手段。

詹文山透露，目前2mm以下的KBBF晶体已可小批量生产，满足国内市场需求。8台科学仪器中，PEEM正在逐步进行产业化尝试。

“晶体—光源—装备—科研—产业化，深紫外固态激光源前沿装备研制项目打造了一条自主创新链，涵盖了从提出原创科学思想到实现应用成果这一完整的科学价值链，为学科交叉面广、跨度大、探索性和工程性很强的原创性重大科研装备创新积累了经验，也为中科院各业务管理单元合理分工、深度融合、协力创新提供了典型样本。”白春礼评价道。

美国《自然》杂志文章刊登陈创天院士和他的KBBF晶体，文章中提到，美国曾试图重金聘请陈院士到美国，被拒绝

“这仅仅是深紫外波段仪器应用的开始。”许祖彦透露，项目二期将从物理、化学、材料拓展到信息、资环、生命等领域，开展6台国际领先水平的仪器设备研制工作，继续推动深紫外技术的深度开发。

同时，在一期任务顺利完成基础上，去年中科院理化所联合北京中科科仪等单位，在科技部支持下启动了深紫外仪器设备产业化开发工作，逐步将研制成功的深紫外仪器设备推向市场。

美国在KBBF晶体制造技术方面的追赶是从2009年开始的，当时美国《自然》杂志刊登文章称，中国开始禁运KBBF晶体，将对美国相关领域的研究产生严重影响，呼吁开始研制美国自己的KBBF晶体。

据查询，正是从2009年开始，美国政府开始直接对APC公司的KBBF项目拨款，项目启动资金约15万美元，此后又在2011年追加50万美元，完成了项目相关预研。此后进入正式的研制开发阶段，迄今项目耗资“数百万美元”（具体数字没有查询到）。

KBBF是制造1兆瓦脉冲激光器的理想材料，美国YAL-1激光反导试验飞机的发射功率就是1兆瓦。不过，深紫外波段激光在大气层内没有实用意义，很容易被大气吸收

资料显示，美国在70-80年代研究太空激光武器的时候曾研究深紫外波段的激光（176纳米波长）拦截来袭洲际导弹的可行性

那么，美国的进步是否动摇了中国在这方面的领先地位呢？

2015年8月，中国科学院网站上刊登文章《福建物构所发现新型无铍深紫外非线性光学晶体材料》，披露了一些中国在激光晶体研制方面的新成果。

文章提到：深紫外激光由于波长短、能进行更高精度加工的优点，在半导体光刻、激光光电子能谱仪和激光切割上具有重要的应用。目前，KBe2BO3F2（KBBF）是唯一能实际输出深紫外激光的非线性光学（NLO）晶体，但是，KBBF含剧毒铍元素且其晶体层状生长习性严重，因此，急需探索新型深紫外NLO晶体材料。

福建物构所中科院光电材料化学与物理重点实验室罗军华课题组在国家自然科学优秀青年基金和赵三根副研究员主持的海西研究院“春苗”人才专项等项目资助下，基于元素周期表的对角线规则，利用Al3+取代有毒的Be2+，设计合成了一种新型无铍深紫外NLO材料Rb3Al3B3O10F（RABF）。RABF继承了KBBF晶体的结构优点，其结构中[Al3(BO3)OF]∞平面层继承了KBBF晶体中[BO3]3-非线性基元的高度取向一致排列方式，从而基本保留了KBBF良好的光学性能。实验结果显示，RABF的透过范围达到了深紫外区；在1064 nm波长激光照射下，其粉末倍频效应（1.2 × KDP）与KBBF相当，并且可以实现相位匹配。同时，RABF中[Al3(BO3)OF]∞平面层之间通过键合力强的Al-F和Al-O键紧密连接，计算表明其层间作用力比KBBF的（K-F离子键）提高了约一个数量级（≥ 9.5 × KBBF），从而使得RABF晶体极大地克服了KBBF的层状生长习性。该课题组与中科院理化所林哲帅研究员合作，对其光学性质作了第一性原理理论计算，其结果与实验数据相吻合。相关研究成果发表在了美国化学会志（J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2015, 137, 2207-2210)上，并申请了中国发明专利。该研究结果将促进无铍深紫外非线性光学晶体材料的发展。

http://www.guancha.cn/Science/2016_02_14_351018.shtml

 

[cirr]

So we are KBBF no more。We are RABF。

 

[XenoEnsi-14]

 

[Dungeness]

So we are KBBF no more。We are RABF。

Without Chinese generous sharing before 2009 embargo, who knows how long US was going to take to come up with this crystal. Now US is the one who is playing catch-up game. We are going to see more of this in the near future.

 

[Beast]

Without Chinese generous sharing before 2009 embargo, who knows how long US was going to take to come up with this crystal. Now US is the one who is playing catch-up game. We are going to see more of this in the near future.

Maybe the US cyberspy and copy the Chinese technique? Anyway, they are too arrogant to admit that

 

[jkroo]

We are too generous that we open to sale the crystal for 19 years though I know we have better one.

Congratulations to Americans.

 

[Dungeness]

So who's copying who --- where are the Indians? Soon they'll start R&D (read: TooooooooT) and slap indigenous label and name it VedicBBF crystal....

Many of our Indian friends will maintain their "official" position: "Chinese can only copy, paste, steal, reverse engineering, and Chinese are not capable of innovation". Let them live in their superpower delusions, let them have their parties for "Make In India", "Startup India", "Skill India", "Digital India", "Stand up India", and god-knows "what India". You just can't wake up those who are pretending asleep.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Without Chinese generous sharing before 2009 embargo, who knows how long US was going to take to come up with this crystal. Now US is the one who is playing catch-up game. We are going to see more of this in the near future.

They may have been sourced from Canada
Newlight Photonics Inc.

KBBF Crystals

 

[Dungeness]

They may have been sourced from Canada
Newlight Photonics Inc.

KBBF Crystals

Interesting! If this Canadian company can provide KBBF crystal as they claimed, why APC has to be reinventing the wheel? I don't think Canada would block the export to the US.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Interesting! If this Canadian company can provide KBBF crystal as they claimed, why APC has to be reinventing the wheel? I don't think Canada would block the export to the US.

read the about page

Advanced Photonic Crystals, LLC

 

[jhungary]

Interesting! If this Canadian company can provide KBBF crystal as they claimed, why APC has to be reinventing the wheel? I don't think Canada would block the export to the US.

The US have "Patented" the method to create KBBF crystal with lower cost and higher quality.

In collaboration with Clemson University, Advanced Photonic Crystals (APC) has developed a U.S. patented hydrothermal crystal growth process to produce the KBBF crystal here in the United States, becoming the nation’s only domestic source of this strategic material. The samples evaluated and tested to date have demonstrated that APC’s KBBF crystals are comparable to, and in many parameters exceed, the quality of the Chinese equivalents, and they can be produced at significantly lower cost.


Source: https://defence.pk/threads/us-firm-developed-game-changer-laser-crystal-breaks-chinese-embargo.422020/#ixzz40EbdxWHH

It said so on the pdf file in your first post.

US does not copy anything, they are making their own crystal using their own method (You cannot patent something in the US that was already made/use), you don't call China "Copying" the German or Swedish with Hydrochoric Acid when they have their own way of making it.......As You cannot patent chemical, like KBBF (Potassium beryllium fluoroborate) or Salt Acid (Hydrochloric Acid), but you can patent the process. As long as the US firm does not use the same process the Chinese did, they copied nothing.

 

[gambit]

It said so on the pdf file in your first post.

You expect these guys to actually read their sources...

 

[Dungeness]

The US have "Patented" the method to create KBBF crystal with lower cost and higher quality.



It said so on the pdf file in your first post.

US does not copy anything, they are making their own crystal using their own method (You cannot patent something in the US that was already made/use), you don't call China "Copying" the German or Swedish with Hydrochoric Acid when they have their own way of making it.......As You cannot patent chemical, like KBBF (Potassium beryllium fluoroborate) or Salt Acid (Hydrochloric Acid), but you can patent the process. As long as the US firm does not use the same process the Chinese did, they copied nothing.

Take it easy. Chinese have been accused of "copy and paste" for even less of fact.

You expect these guys to actually read their sources...

You could have posted something more like a "professional".

 

[kadamba-warrior]

How about quranic kBBF crystal

Last time I replied a Pakistani dude, who was bringing Vedas in an argument (where it clearly didn't belong), with a reference to Quran, they banned me.

These people, even the seemingly sane ones like the one that you quoted, don't think twice pissing on others' religious scriptures, but start throwing a hissy fit if you answer them in their own language that you can barely stop them blowing themselves up!

Hypocrites of the highest order!