Anisotropic growth of domain rays in lithium niobate crystal induced by IR laser scanning

Abstract

Formation of nanodomain structure after linear scanning by IR laser beam in congruent lithium niobate crystal was attributed to switching under the action of pyroelectric field. The complicated domain patterns consisted of strictly oriented narrow stripe domains (width about 200 nm and depth about 20 µm) arising in a wide switched band. Width of the switched band and domain length density at different distances from the center of the irradiated zone depend on the scanning velocity v_s. Relevance of the used model was supported by similarity of the experimental and calculated dependences.

Keywords:

• Domain structure
• laser irradiation
• pyroelectric field
• polarization reversal
• computer simulation

Acknowledgments

The equipment of Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern Nanotechnology” Ural Federal University (Reg. No. 2968) was used.

Additional information

Funding

The reported study was funded by Russian Science Foundation (grant 19-12-00210) and Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project 075-15-2021-677).