Polarization Switching and Defect Structure in Pure and MgO Doped Near-Stoichiometric LiNbO3 Crystals

Abstract

Pure and MgO doped (up to 4 mol%) near-stoichiometric LiNbO 3 crystals are grown from Li rich (Li-55 mol%) melt. Significant improvement in the optical properties such as increase of optical damage resistance, accompanied by a shift in the –OH peak position in FTIR spectrum, and transparent range is observed at 1.75 mol% of MgO concentration in the crystal. Also the coercive field required for ferroelectric domain switching is minimum at 1.75 mol% MgO doping. Based on the results, the correlation between the defect structure and ferroelectric domain switching behavior in pure and MgO doped SLN is discussed.