Pulsed laser deposition and characterization of optical waveguiding (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films

Abstract

The ferroelectric (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 optical waveguiding thin films have been prepared on MgO coated (100)LiF substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray θ-2θ scans revealed that the films are single-phase pseudocubic perovskite and highly 〈100〉 textured. The surface chemical composition of the as-grown films was determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ferroelectric properties of the films as grown on Pt/Ti coated silicon were demonstrated by using a modified Sawyer–Tower circuit, and the optical waveguiding properties of the films were characterized by using a rutile prism coupling method. The as-grown films have an average transmittance of 75% in the wavelength range of 400–2000 nm and a refractive index of 2.2 at 632.8 nm close to the bulk PLZT. The distinct m lines of the guided TM and TE modes of the films as grown on MgO coated LiF substrates have been observed.