LiNbO₃ is widely used as electro-optic modulator and Q-switch for Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF and Ti:Sapphire lasers as well as modulator for fiber optics, etc. The transverse modulation is mostly employed for LiNbO₃ crystal.

If a LiNbO₃ with specifications listed in the following Table is used as Q-switch crystal, i.e., the light propagates in z-axis and electric field applies to x-axis, the refractive retardation will be G = pLnr22V/ld. The electro-optic coefficients of LiNbO₃ are: r₃₃ = 32 pm/V, r₃₁ = 10 pm/V, r₂₂ = 6.8 pm/V at low frequency and r₃₃ = 31 pm/V, r₃₁ = 8.6 pm/V, r₂₂ = 3.4 pm/V at high electric frequency.

Note: The damage threshold of LiNbO₃ is low. It is not suitable to high power application. MgO:LiNbO₃, Fe:LiNbO_{3 and} ZnO:LiNbO₃ crystals have similar electro-optic properties to LiNbO₃ but with higher damage threshold. Dream Lasers provides these crystals with the same specifications of LiNbO₃ listed in the above Table.