This clear and self-contained review of the last four decades of research highlights in the hot field of nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, particularly of borate-based ultraviolet and deep-ultraviolet NLO crystals, covers three major subjects: the structure-property relationship in borate crystals, the structural and optical characteristics of various promising borate crystals, and their fruitful applications in a wide range of scientific and technological fields.
Edited by the discoverers and users of these optical borate crystals, this is a readily accessible reading for semiconductor, applied and solid state physicists, materials scientists, solid state chemists, manufacturers of optoelectronic devices, and those working in the optical industry.

Changtian Chen is a research professor at Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and is a member both of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World and CAS. He proposed and developed a theoretical model named "anionic group theory" of nonlinear optical (NLO) effect in crystals. On the basis of the theoretical model and calculation method, his group has discovered a series of new generation borate NLO crystals, such as BBO (?-BaB2O4), LBO (LiB3O5) and KBBF (KBe2BO3F2). In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of new NLO crystals of borate series, Prof. Chen was awarded the chemistry award of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World in 1988. he and his colleagues also won the CAS Special Class Prize and a First Class National Invention Prize in 1986 and 1991, respectively. Recently, he again won "The Outstanding Research Achievement Award" of the Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Foundation for his outstanding contributions to the discovery and development of KBBF and applications of the crystal.

Takatomo Sasaki is a professor emeritus and visiting professor of Graduates School of Engineering, Osaka University, Japan. His major research topic is laser and optical nonlinear crystals for UV region and their industrial applications. Professor Sasaki has received the Lion Prize in France for the Acknowledgement of Scientific Value and Research Activities, the Scientific Award from The Korean Association of Crystal Growth (ACG) and various awards from the Japanese ACG, the Institute of Electrical Engineering of Japan and the Laser Society of Japan for development of new nonlinear optical crystals for ultra-violet light generation. He has been Chairman of Japanese ACG from 2004.

Preface
INTRODUCTION
History of the Theoretical Understanding for Nonlinear Optical Crystals
History of Development on Nonlinear Optical Borate Crystals
Crystal Growth of Nonlinear Borate Crystals and Current Status of Applications
THEORETICAL BASIS TO DEVELOP BORATE NONLINEAR OPTICAL CRYSTALS
BORATE NONLINEAR OPTICAL CRYSTALS FOR FREQUENCY CONVERSION
BBO
LBO Family
KBBF Family
Other Borate Crystals
Borate Crystals in Developing
APPLICATIONS
Rapid Proto-Typing
Semiconductor Industry
- Bia-Hole Drilling
- Annealing
- Marking
- Inspection
Bio-Medical Applications
- Eye Surgery
- Protein Processing
Advanced Instrument Making