Crystal growth company Shasta Crystals announced that it has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for the Phase I project entitled, “Potassium lithium niobate (KLN) grown by modified laser heated pedestal growth technique for blue and UV laser applications.” The grant will allow the company to further develop its KLN crystal, test its conversion efficiency and determine an ideal composition to achieve phasematching, said the company. The company’s crystal growth technology allows the production of a variety of crystal products, including nonlinear optical crystals for visible lasers and YAG for infrared lasers. For more information, visit: www.shastacrystals.com