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.