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Title: Giant quadratic electro-optical effect during polarization switching in ultrathin ferroelectric polymer films

Journal Article · · Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics
; ;  [1]
  1. Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography (Russian Federation)

The low-frequency quadratic electro-optical effect with a maximum electro-optical coefficient of g = 8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -19} m{sup 2}/V{sup 2} (i.e., four orders of magnitude greater than the standard high-frequency value) has been studied in thin films of ferroelectric polymer PVDF(70%)-TrFE(30%). The observed effect is related to the process of spontaneous polarization switching, during which the electron oscillators of C-F and C-H dipole groups rotate to become parallel to the applied field. As a result, the ellipsoid of the refractive index exhibits narrowing in the direction perpendicular to the field. The field dependence of the electro-optical coefficient g correlates with that of the apparent dielectric permittivity, which can be introduced under the condition of ferroelectric polarization switching. The observed electro-optical effect strongly decreases when the frequency increases up to several hundred hertz. The temperature dependence of the effect exhibits clearly pronounced hysteresis in the region of the ferroelectric phase transition.

OSTI ID:
22027880
Journal Information:
Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Vol. 114, Issue 4; Other Information: Copyright (c) 2012 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1063-7761
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English