Photoelasticity of YVO4 through first-principle calculation

Summary

The laser host materials undergo relatively small changes in their intrinsic properties due to various sources during an experiment. These sources are often related to temperature change and vibrations due to crystal mounting, which may cause stress-induced birefringence in laser host materials[1]. Birefringence is a phenomenon that causes optical anisotropy due to external load or residual stress. As a result, the final outcome of the experiments can be affected. One way to reduce probable noises is to predict the change in optical properties with respect to load. In the case of laser host materials, refractive index is one of the most prominent properties that undergoes change. The change in refractive index due to external load in the linear response regime is known as photoelasticity. Therefore, to predict the change pattern of refractive index in a crystal, one needs to know the elastic and photoelastic constants of the material.

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