The electronic conductivity in single crystals of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate family

ABSTRACT

The electronic conductivity was measured in single crystals of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate family at elevated temperatures using direct electrometric method with original technique of compensation of pyroelectric current. Experimentally measured temperature dependences of the bulk electrical conductivity along the polar direction followed the Arrhenius law with activation energy ranging from 1.0 to 1.2 eV. It was shown that bulk intrinsic conductivity became the main mechanism of screening at the temperatures above 160°C. The conductivity anisotropy was studied in MgOLN single crystals.

KEYWORDS:

• Lithium niobate
• lithium tantalate
• bulk conductivity
• conductivity anisotropy
• activation energy

Acknowledgments

The equipment of the Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern nanotechnology” UrFU was used.

Funding

The research was made possible in part by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation (UID RFMEFI59414X0011), by RFBR (Grants 13-02-01391-a, 14-02-90447-Ukr-a) and by Government of the Russian Federation (Act 211, Agreement 02.A03.21.0006).