Growth of cadmium mercury thiocyanate single crystals using acetone–water mixed solvent and their characterization studies

Cadmium mercury tetrathiocyanate single crystals were grown from acetone–water (4:1) mixed solvent by slow evaporation solution technique. The structure of the grown crystal was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystalline perfection of cadmium mercury thiocyanate (CMTC) was ascertained by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) analysis. The presence of functional groups and the coordination of thiocyanate ion in the CMTC compound were confirmed by laser Raman spectroscopy. The optical transparency of CMTC single crystal was studied by UV–vis spectroscopy. Single-shot surface laser damage threshold of CMTC estimated using an Nd-YAG laser of wavelength 1064 nm was found to be 4.59 GW/cm2 and second harmonic generation (SHG) output power was estimated through the Kurtz powder method. Dielectric constant and dielectric loss for various frequencies and temperatures were performed on CMTC single crystal.