Self-organisation in LiNbO₃ formation of micro- and nano-scale domain patterns

Shur, V., Shishkin, E., Rumyantsev, E., Nikolaeva, E.V., Shur, A., Batchko, R., Fejer, M., Gallo, K., Kurimura, S., Terabe, K. and Kitamura, K. (2003) Self-organisation in LiNbO₃ formation of micro- and nano-scale domain patterns. EMF 2003: 10th European Meeting on Ferroelectricity, Aachen, Germany. 05 - 08 Oct 2003.

Abstract

We review the study of self-organized formation of several types of quasi-regular micro- and nano-scale domain patterns in single crystalline LiNbO₃ (LN) and LiTaO₃ (LT) samples with artificial surface dielectric layers. The domain images revealed by chemical etching
have been visualized using optical, scanning electron and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) in contact atomic force mode. SPM piezoresponse imaging mode allows us to investigate the domain structure under the sample surface. “Nanodomain arrays” form during backswitch poling after field switch-off in LN in the vicinity of strip electrodes under artificial dielectric layer. The strictly-oriented arrays consist of 30-100-nm-diameter needle-like domains. Similar quasi-regular nano-scale structures appear in LN with waveguides in the area covered by nonpolar surface layer formed by proton exchange. “Dendrite domain structures” with low spatial ordering
appear in congruent and MgO doped LN after removing of external field near the edges of the switched area covered by air gap or silicon oil layer. These dendrites propagate through the sample due to growth of domain array branches and may cover the areas about square millimeters. The orientation of individual branches essentially deviates from crystallographic directions in rather free manner in contrast with nanodomain arrays. “Web structures” formation has been observed during switching in stoichiometric LT with artificial dielectric layer. Web growth starting from pinhole in dielectric layer leads to development of highly symmetrical ordered domain structure. All obtained effects have been explained as an evidence of correlated nucleation effect. The crucial role of intrinsic and artificial surface dielectric layers has been pointed out.
The research was made possible in part by RFBR (Grant 01-02-17443), by RFBR-DFG (Grant 02-02-04006), by Ministry of Education RF (Grant E02-3.4-395) and by program "Basic Research in Russian Universities" (Grant YP.06.01.031), and by Award No.REC-005 of CRDF.

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