Crystal growth and low coercive field 180° domain switching characteristics of stoichiometric LiTaO3

We grew LiTaO3 single crystals with a composition close to stoichiometry by using a double crucible Czochralski method. The switching field required for 180° ferroelectric domain reversal and the internal fields originating from nonstoichiometric point defects were compared for the stoichiometric and conventional commercially available crystals. The switching fields for the domain reversal in the stoichiometric crystal with a Curie temperature of 685 °C was 1.7 kV/mm. This is about one thirteenth of the switching field required for the conventional LiTaO3  crystals with a Curie temperature near 600 °C. The internal field in the stoichiometric crystal drastically decreased to 0.1 kV/mm.