Formation of Stripe Domain Structures by Pulse Laser Irradiation of LiNbO₃ Crystals

Abstract

The formation of quasi-regular stripe nanodomain structure induced by ultraviolet pulse laser irradiation was studied in single crystalline congruent lithium niobate LiNbO₃. It has been shown that the domain structure with average period about 4 μm consists of “straight” and “wave-like” nanodomain rays. The scanning electron microscopy allows us to reveal that the rays represent quasi-periodic arrays of individual nanodomains with average size 50–200 nm and period 100–500 nm. The spatial frequency multiplication of quasi-regular structures has been revealed.

Keywords:

• Lithium niobate
• nanoscale domain structures
• pulse laser irradiation
• laser heating
• pyroelectric field

Acknowledgments

The research was made possible in part by RFBR (grants 08-02-12173-ofr, 08-02-99082-r-ofr, 08-02-90434-Ukr-a, 10-02-96042-r-Ural-a, 10-02-00627-a,), RFBR-CNRS (grant 05-02-19648), U.S. CRDF BRHE & FAE (PhD Award RNP 2.2.2.3.16019/Y5-P-05-10); by Federal Agency of Education (contract P870), by Federal Agency of Science and Innovation (contracts 02.74011.0171 and 02.552.11.7069).