Determination of the electrooptic and piezoelectric coefficients of the molecular nonlinear optical crystal 2-furyl methacrylic anhydride

We determine the electrooptic and piezoelectric coefficients of the molecular nonlinear optical crystal 2-furyl methacrylic anhydride. The measurements were taken by Mach-Zehnder interferometer. A He-Ne laser operating at the wavelength of 632.8 nm was used as a light source. A sample of approximate dimensions was cut and its faces perpendicular to the crystallographic a-axis were polished to high optical quality. An electric field was applied along the crystallographic c-axis, which is the polar axis of the crystal. Therefore, the electrooptic coefficients could be determined by measuring the induced phase retardation, due to an applied electric field for the polarization of light along the crystallographic c- and a-axis.