Domain kinetics in LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃ with modified bulk conductivity

ABSTRACT

The switching in the bulk only in lithium tantalate single crystals with modification of the surface layer by short-time low energy ion irradiation has been studied experimentally. It was shown by us earlier that in lithium niobate single crystals such irradiation led to spatially inhomogeneous increase of the bulk conductivity and allowed us to create by polarization reversal the stable domain structure with charged domain walls. In this paper, we compare the features of the domain structure evolution and growth of the charged domain walls in modified crystals of lithium tantalate and lithium niobate.

KEYWORDS:

• Ion irradiation
• domain structure
• domain engineering
• lithium niobate
• lithium tantalate

Acknowledgments

The equipment of the Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern nanotechnology” UrFU was used. The authors thank P.S. Zelenovskiy for the help with CRM measurements.

Funding

The research was made possible in part by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (UID RFMEFI59414X0011), by RFBR (Grant 14-02-90447-Ukr-a) and by Government of the Russian Federation (Act 211, Agreement 02.A03.21.0006).