The role of nonstoichiometry in 180{degree} domain switching of LiNbO{sub 3} crystals
- Center for Materials Science, MS K765, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
- National Institute for Research in Inorganic Materials, 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305 (Japan)
We show here conclusively that the internal field originates from nonstoichiometric point defects in LiNbO{sub 3} crystals. The switching fields required for 180{degree} domain reversal in congruent crystals [C=Li{sub 2}O/(Li{sub 2}O+Nb{sub 2}O{sub 5})=0.484] are {approximately}4{endash}5 times larger than the switching fields for nearstoichiometric crystals (C=0.498). An internal field of {approximately}2.5 kV/mm observed in congruent crystals disappears in stoichiometric crystals. The concentration of hydrogen incorporated during crystal growth has no effect on the switching or internal fields. The measured spontaneous polarization, P{sub s}=80{plus_minus}5 {mu}C/cm{sup 2} is relatively insensitive to the crystal nonstoichiometry and the hydrogen content. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 600965
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 72, Issue 16; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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