Linear and nonlinear optical properties of RF sputtered (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectric thin films

Abstract

Linear and nonlinear optical properties of (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O-3 (PLZT) ferroelectric thin films were presented in this paper. The PLZT ferroelectric thin films have been in situ grown on quartz substrates by radio-frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at 650 degrees C. Their crystalline structure and surface morphologies were examined by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, respectively. It can be found that the PLZT thin films exhibit well-crystallized perovskite structure and good surface morphology. The fundamental optical constants (the band gap energy, linear refractive index, and linear absorption coefficient) were obtained through the optical transmittance measurements. A Z-scan technique was used to investigate the optical nonlinearity of the PLZT thin films on quartz substrates. The films display the strong third-order nonlinear optical effect. A large and negative nonlinear refractive index n(2) is determined to be 1.21 x 10(-6) esu for the PLZT thin films. All results show that the PLZT ferroelectric thin films have potential applications in optical limiting, switching, and modulated-type optical devices.