Bulk cylinders and spheres: from shaping to the use for linear and nonlinear optics

International audience; Bulk crystals cut and polished as spheres or cylinders are unique tools for measuring the angular distribution of any linear or nonlinear optical property as well as for designing widely and continuously tunable parametric devices. The aim of this article is to describe the specific techniques of shaping such high quality samples, and their use in methods of optical measurements and devices that we implemented.