Lithium niobate

Lithium niobate

Identifiers
CAS Number	12031-63-9 Y
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	10605804 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.031.583
PubChem	159404
InChI InChI=1S/Li.Nb.3O/q+1;;;;-1 Y Key: GQYHUHYESMUTHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/Li.Nb.3O/q+1;;;;-1/rLi.NbO3/c;2-1(3)4/q+1;-1 Key: GQYHUHYESMUTHG-YHKBGIKBAK
SMILES [Li+].[O-][Nb](=O)=O
Properties
Chemical formula	LiNbO3
Molar mass	147.846 g/mol
Appearance	colorless solid
Density	4.65 g/cm3
Melting point	1,257 °C (2,295 °F; 1,530 K)
Solubility in water	None
Band gap	4 eV
Refractive index (nD)	no 2.30, ne 2.21
Structure
Crystal structure	trigonal
Space group	R3c
Point group	3m (C3v)
Hazards
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	8000 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) is a compound of niobium, lithium, and oxygen. Its single crystals are an important material for optical waveguides, mobile phones, piezoelectric sensors, optical modulators and various other linear and non-linear optical applications.

Lithium niobate is a colorless solid insoluble in water. It has a trigonal crystal system, which lacks inversion symmetry and displays ferroelectricity, Pockels effect, piezoelectric effect, photoelasticity and nonlinear optical polarizability. Lithium niobate has negative uniaxial birefringence which depends slightly on the stoichiometry of the crystal and on temperature. It is transparent for wavelengths between 350 and 5200 nanometers.

Lithium niobate can be doped by magnesium oxide, which increases its resistance to optical damage (also known as photorefractive damage) when doped above the optical damage threshold. Other available dopants are Fe, Zn, Hf, Cu, Gd, Er, Y, Mn and B.

Single crystals of lithium niobate can be grown using the Czochralski process.