Control of domain structures in lithium tantalate using interferometric optical patterning

Abstract We report a room temperature technique for periodically inverting the domain structure in a lithium tantalate crystal, via the simultaneous application of optical and electric fields. Ultraviolet light from an Ar ion laser was incident on a 200-μm-thick z -cut lithium tantalate crystal, illuminating the y -face which had been polished to form a biprism. The resulting interferometric pattern, formed between planar liquid electrodes applied to the + z - and − z -crystal faces, had a period of 6.3 μm. We show the results of optical control of the poling process, and discuss the theory behind light-induced ferroelectric switching.

[1]  Steven G. Johnson,et al.  Photonic Crystals: Molding the Flow of Light , 1995 .

[2]  V. Gopalan,et al.  Crystal growth and low coercive field 180° domain switching characteristics of stoichiometric LiTaO3 , 1998 .

[3]  Shiuh Chao,et al.  Large photoinduced ferroelectric coercive field increase and photodefined domain pattern in lithium-tantalate crystal , 1996 .

[4]  William V. Davis,et al.  Time dependence of ferroelectric coercive field after domain inversion for lithium-tantalate crystal , 1995 .

[5]  Robert W. Eason,et al.  Optical control of electric-field poling in LiTaO3 , 1997 .

[6]  C. Pannell,et al.  Nanosecond response of Bragg deflectors in periodically poled LiNbO3 , 1998, IEEE Photonics Technology Letters.

[7]  R. A. Rupp,et al.  Photoassisted generation of ferroelectric domain gratings in SBN , 1994 .

[8]  V. Gopalan,et al.  Wall velocities, switching times, and the stabilization mechanism of 180° domains in congruent LiTaO3 crystals , 1998 .

[9]  Hiromasa Ito,et al.  Temperature‐dependent dispersion relation of ferroelectric lithium tantalate , 1996 .

[10]  Baruch Fischer,et al.  Simultaneous generation of sum, difference, and harmonics of two laser frequencies by spread spectrum phase matching , 1994 .

[11]  Mool C. Gupta,et al.  OBSERVATION OF INTERNAL FIELD IN LITAO3 SINGLE CRYSTALS : ITS ORIGIN AND TIME-TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE , 1996 .

[12]  V. Gopalan,et al.  The role of nonstoichiometry in 180° domain switching of LiNbO3 crystals , 1998 .

[13]  Baruch Fischer,et al.  Broadband second‐harmonic generation in SrxBa1−xNb2O6 by spread spectrum phase matching with controllable domain gratings , 1993 .