Studies on growth and characterization of a nonlinear optical crystal: Zinc sulfate-doped L-alanine

Abstract

Single crystals of zinc sulfate doped L-alanine (LAZ) were grown by adopting the slow evaporation technique at room temperature. The crystal structure of LAZ was determined using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The functional groups of LAZ were identified by FT-IR spectroscopy analysis. UV–Visible–NIR transmittance study was carried out, and the bandgap energy was found. A fluorescence study was performed to get the emission spectrum of the LAZ crystal. The Vickers microhardness test is used to determine the LAZ crystals mechanical behavior. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses have also been studied to investigate the thermal property of the LAZ crystal. The efficiency of the title crystal’s second harmonic generation (SHG) was investigated. The electrical properties were estimated by impedance study.