Vacuum ultraviolet second-harmonic generation in NH4B4O6F crystal | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Vacuum ultraviolet second-harmonic generation in NH 4 B 4 O 6 F crystal Shilie Pan, Fangfang Zhang, Zilong Chen, Chen Cui, Zhihua Yang, and 4 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6284969/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals are essential for generating compact, high-power VUV laser sources via second-harmonic generation (SHG). However, the development of such sources has been impeded by the lack of suitable NLO crystals. In this study, we report the development of the fluorooxoborate crystal NH 4 B 4 O 6 F (ABF) as a promising material for VUV light generation. For the first time, VUV devices with specific phase-matching angles were constructed, achieving a record 158.9 nm light through phase-matching SHG and a maximum nanosecond pulse energy of 4.8 mJ at 177.3 nm with a conversion efficiency of 5.9 %. The enhanced NLO performance is attributed to optimized arrangements of fluorine-based units creating asymmetric sublattices. This work represents a significant milestone in the field of NLO materials, paving the way for the future applications of compact, high-power VUV lasers utilizing ABF. Physical sciences/Materials science/Materials for optics/Nonlinear optics Physical sciences/Optics and photonics/Lasers, LEDs and light sources/Solid-state lasers Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files ExtendedData.docx Extended Data Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Jan, 2026 Read the published version in Nature → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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