THE PREMIERE CUSTOM NONLINEAR CRYSTAL SUPPLIER IN THE USA

WE DELIVER THE BEST PERFORMING LBO

From the Heart of the Silicon Valley

GAMDAN Optics Inc. is the premiere U.S. manufacturer of custom-made nonlinear optical crystals for UV and other applications requiring the highest LIDT and lifetime. CONTACT US today to inquire about our In-Stock LBO with quick turn around time and purchase USA made Lithium Triborate (LBO) Crystals.

Laser system with GAMDAN Optics LBO crystal inside

Pictured Above: GAMDAN Optics, Inc. LBO Crystal inside a user’s system.

PRECISION CRYSTAL MANUFACTURING SPECIALIZING IN LBO, KGW, BBO, KTP & YV04

GAMDAN Optics Nonlinear Crystal Boules KGW LBO BBO KTP

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NEWS Content

Oct 14, 2025

WHITE PAPER RELEASE - Nonlinear Crystal Selection and Specification

Oct 14, 2025

Aug 25, 2025

GAMDAN Optics to Exhibit at SPIE Optifab

Aug 25, 2025

Aug 18, 2025

WHITE PAPER RELEASE - Walkoff in Nonlinear Optics

Aug 18, 2025

NEWS + UPDATES

NONLINEAR OPTICAL CRYSTAL BLOG

FEATURED ARTICLES

Getting To Know LBO

Lithium Triborate, LiB3O5, or LBO-- all the same to me, but let's be friends, just call me LBO. I am an outstanding crystal for nonlinear optics, the best of my type. But why am I special, so special? It probably has something to do with the lithium. And, GAMDAN Optics has the best performing LBOs, period.

INTERFEROMETRY - FRINGES AND PHASES

Before light sources with considerable coherence length were available (think lasers), opticians formed fringe patterns using a test plate, also known as an optical flat. Spherical test plates also exist, to check the surface of lenses, or curved mirrors. These test plates could be placed in close proximity to each other, so common light sources could be used.

WHAT IS WAVEFRONT DISTORTION?

A perfectly generated wave may be plano or spherical. What happens to it as it travels may alter that perfect shape. This circumstance is called wavefront distortion.

Tight control of crystal growth, sophisticated selection of material, near compulsive attention to detail in manufacturing and polishing combine with discriminating inspection practices to ensure that GAMDAN Optics products are free of transmissive wavefront errors.

CONTAMINATION ON ULTRAVIOLET (UV) OPTICS

Contamination can find its way onto all types of optics. UV light is generally more likely to break molecular bonds and cause damage than visible or infrared light. Contamination can make a good optic appear to have a low threshold for laser induced damage. Here we’ll explain a few types of contamination, and we’ll show what can be done to prevent contamination on UV optics.

Estimates of Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) Efficiency

Can the second harmonic generation be done efficiently with the right amount of peak power? In this article we will analyze what happens with lower peak power. For example, what if we run the same laser continuously (CW), so the average power might still be one Watt, but the peak power is now also now only one Watt. Can we efficiently generate the second harmonic of that CW beam? Read more and explore SGH with us…

OPO Process and How They Work

An Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) is a light source, and a feature of optical parametric oscillators is wavelength flexibility. OPOs can deliver wavelengths that may be difficult or impossible to achieve with lasers. Not only can an OPO be built to work at a specified wavelength, but also many OPOs can be tuned--the user can scan the wavelength. In a laser, stimulated emission from an energized laser medium amplifies light. The laser medium is usually energized by a separate electrical or optical power source. An OPO is different…

Walkoff Problems and Compensation

Walkoff is different in different situations and with different materials. Second harmonic generation (SHG) and third harmonic generation (THG) can be accomplished in LBO and with other materials. For example, we could use one LBO SHG crystal and one LBO THG crystal. If we have beams with high peak powers then we can use short crystals. However to boost the efficiency of the THG process, we often want to make the crystals much longer. Read on for more about walkoff problems and compensation.

Introduction to Walkoff

Suppose we send two beams of light, each with a different unique color, through a transparent crystal. The light in each beam can also have different polarizations. Furthermore, suppose that these two beams are incident upon the crystal at the same location and going in the exact same direction. Once in the crystal, will they continue to go in the same direction—equivalently, are they still angularly aligned? In this article, we will take a closer look into dispersion and walkoff and why it matters.

THE HIGHEST PERFORMING

NONLINEAR CRYSTALS, Period.

If you’re looking for a US based nonlinear optical crystal manufacturer that’s earned a strong track record of success and an ever-growing list of loyal customers, contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you. We serve several industries including industrial fabrication, medical lasers, aerospace and defense industry. We look forward to hearing from you and putting a plan of action together as partners.

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“We have been very impressed with the LBO from Gamdan. The material quality and lifetime testing we have done on the crystals have exceeded our expectations”

— A Senior Specialist Laser Engineer