Radiation-damage-assisted ferroelectric domain structuring in magnesium-doped lithium niobate

Irradiation of 5% magnesium-doped lithium niobate crystals (LiNbO₃:Mg) with high-energy, low-mass ³He ions, which are transmitted through the crystal, changes the domain reversal properties of the material. This enables easier domain engineering compared to non-irradiated material and assists the formation of small-sized periodically poled domains in LiNbO₃:Mg. Periodic domain structures exhibiting a width of ≈520 nm are obtained in radiation-damaged sections of the crystals. The ferroelectric poling behavior between irradiated and non-treated material is compared.     

Role of stoichiometric point defect in electric-field-poling lithium niobate

Non-congruent LiNbO₃ crystals has been used to determine the influence of the intrinsic defect density in the ferroelectric domain inversion mechanism. The poling processes have been carried out either at high temperature or at RT throughout the electric-field-poling technique. It is shown that the coercive field of LiNbO₃ crystals is strongly influenced by the intrinsic defect density in the crystals. Moreover it is shown that it is possible to realign the ferroelectric domain structure of near-stoichiometric LiNbO₃ crystals to prepare periodic poled structures which allows second harmonic generation at shorter wavelengths than with congruent crystals at a fixed wavelength. Received: 6 July 1999 / Accepted: 24 November 1999 / Published online: 24 March 2000     

Domain wall orientations in ferroelastics and ferroelectrics

This paper concerns the problem of orientations of domain walls in ferroelastic and/or ferroelectric single crystals. They are specified on the basis of elastic compatibility of the neighbouring domains. Results are presented in form of tables, which make it possible to find spontaneous tensors (i.e. strain and polarization) for each domain state in any ferroelastic and/or ferroelectric species. Domain wall orientations are listed in tables for all combinations of domain states. For each domain wall orientation, their charge or neutrality is indicated. Results are summarized in comprehensive table including numbers of possible domain states, domain wall types (W _∞, W _f , S) and their charge or neutrality. Domain pairs with non-permissible domain walls (R case) are also specified.     

Recording of domains and regular domain patterns in strontium–barium niobate crystals in the field of atomic force microscope

The recording of microdomains and regular 1D- (linear) and 2D- (square) domain arrays was performed in SBN crystals by means of applying low (within 10 V) DC voltages to an AFM tip. The ferroelectric phenomena under AFM-tip fields (P–E hysteresis loops, the domain dynamics, etc.) agree qualitatively with the polarization processes observed at the macroscopic level and reveal peculiarities obviously related to the relaxor origin of SBN crystals. Particularly, the domain formation and the domain-wall lateral motion occur under fields much lower than E _c , which founds no explanation in terms of the model approach to the ferroelectric switching. The formation of linear and square domains results from overlapping closely spaced individual domains. For the first time a drastic dependence of the temporal stability on the domain topology was found. Namely, at identical exposure conditions of recording, the lifetimes of individual domains, domain lines, and domain squares (“chessboards”) are, respectively, several minutes, tens of hours, and no less than a month.     

LiNbO3晶体中缺陷的X射线形貌研究

用X射线透射扫描形貌方法观察了直拉法生长LiNbO₃晶体中各种类型点阵缺陷,诸如铁电畴壁、生长层、位错、亚晶界和胞状组织等;用不同衍射矢量对[001]和[210]方向生长的晶体的形貌消象规律,结合X射线铁电异常散射效应和光学显微观察,讨论了晶体中180°铁电畴和生长层的衬度及其分布,并研究了LiNbO₃晶体中180°畴壁形成及其相互关系。 关键词：     

Bias field effects on the dielectric properties of 0.67Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.33PbTiO3 single crystals with different orientations

The domain states and phase transitions in 0.67Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-0.33PbTiO₃ single crystals were investigated by studying their relative permittivity under various dc bias at constant heating and cooling rates. The orientation dependence of the bias field effect was revealed by examining the temperature dependence of relative permittivity as a function of crystal orientation (the 〈111〉, 〈011〉 and 〈001〉 directions) and dc bias field. The crystals basically have a macrodomain rhombohedral ferroelectric state in the ferroelectric phase under zero dc bias. External bias field could modulate the domain state and induce a stable macrodomain state in the crystals. Also, it is proposed that the dc bias applied along the 〈001〉 or 〈011〉 direction could induce a tetragonal ferroelectric phase or an orthorhombic ferroelectric phase, respectively, in an intermediate temperature range.     

Atomic 6p-Tl0 centers in ferroelectric Rb2ZnCl4 crystals

Abstract

Several Tl⁰ (6s²6p ¹)-type paramagnetic centers, produced by low temperature X-ray irradiation, were observed and studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) in the orthorhombic ferroelectric phase of thallium doped Rb₂ZnCl₄ crystals. The centers were formed by electron trapping at Tl⁺ ions localized substitutionally at Rb⁺ sites. The number and properties of the observed centers account for the tripling of the unit cell in the ferroelectric phase.     

Influence of domain structure on the nonlinear polarization properties of A 2 BX 4-group crystals

Harmonic analysis of repolarization in A ₂ BX ₄-group crystals in the ferroelectric phase near phase-transition temperature T _c is used to separate the contributions to the harmonic-component amplitudes in the output signal of a Sawyer-Tower circuit from charging the reference capacitor with capacitive and conductive current through such a crystal. Harmonic analysis of dielectric hysteresis loops obtained by placing a specimen in an electric field with harmonically changing strength reveals general regularities in the evolution of the domain walls of A ₂ BX ₄-group crystals. It is established that the domain structure affects the nonlinear polarization properties of our specimens. The dependence of the potential relief of ferroelectric ion motion in a harmonically changing electric field is plotted on the basis of the experimental results.     

Study of the domain structure evolution in single crystals of relaxor ferroelectric Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6:Ce1

Optical visualization with simultaneous recording of the switching current was used for studying of domain structure evolution in single crystals relaxor ferroelectric strontium barium niobate (Sr_0.61Ba_0.39Nb₂O₆) doped by cerium (0.22 mol %) (SBN61:Ce). It was shown that the maze domain structures can be observed during polarization reversal due to local change of refractive index induced by formation of microscale domains with charged domain walls. It was proposed, that optical inhomogeneities occur in the switching regions, while the optical uniform areas correspond to regions where the switching either has not started yet or has already completed. The original mathematical treatment of the obtained images and switching currents has been used for quantitative characterization of the polarization reversal process.     

Orientational contribution to the piezoelectric constants of BaTiO3 ceramic in ferroelectric phases with various symmetries

A self-consistent method based on the interaction of a piezoelectric sphere with a piezoelectric medium that has anisotropic elastic and dielectric properties is used to calculate the components of the tensor piezoelectric modulus of BaTiO₃ ceramic in all three ferroelectric modifications. A comparison of the calculated and measured piezoelectric moduli shows that at least 60–70% of the piezoelectric effect in BaTiO₃ ceramic is caused by domain boundary movement throughout the entire ferroelectric region. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1080–1083 (June 1999)     

Effect of Ni doping on ferroelectric and dielectric properties of strontium barium niobate crystals

The influence of Ni doping on the ferroelectric and dielectric properties have been examined in Sr_0.61Ba_0.39Nb₂O₆ (SBN:61) relaxor crystals. The dopants introduced into SBN:61 crystals promote the switching process by reducing the value of threshold nucleation field, and thus coercive field. We present real-time studies of domain nucleation and growth processes in doped SBN:61 by the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) decoration technique. The broad phase transition and low-frequency dielectric dispersion that are exhibited by doped SBN:61 samples have a strong link to the configuration of the ferroelectrics microdomains, which in turn is strongly determined by Ni ions concentration.     

Propagation of nonequilibrium phonons in ferroelectric ceramics and single crystals

Phonon transport in ferroelectric ceramics and single crystals has been experimentally investigated. Our measurements indicate that, in the temperature range 1.7–3.8 K studied, the effective phonon diffusion coefficient behaves as D _eff∞T ⁻⁵ in ferroelectrics with a broadened phase transition. This experimental dependence is in accord with the presence of a plateau in the thermal conductivity of such materials. The scattering by domain walls in BaTiO₃ single crystals has been identified, and our results are in quantitative agreement with calculations. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 624–631 (February 1999)     

Axial crystals – macroscopic symmetry and tensor properties

ABSTRACT

Axial crystals have axial symmetry which keeps invariant straight line with a fixed point. Axial symmetry groups include 27 non-cubic crystallographic point groups and 5 limit groups describing symmetry of textures and liquid crystals. We show that, except for four cases, each axial symmetry belongs to one of five axial types: polar, chiral, pseudopolar (three basic axial types), directional (possessing none of characteristic properties of basic types) or rotational (exhibiting characteristic properties of all basic types). Each basic type can appear in two structurally different variants with the same symmetry. These variants can coexist and form a mesoscopic structure (antiparallel ferroelectric or chiral domain structure, mixture of enantiomers). We examine macroscopic properties of axial types and variants, and experimental accessivity of their characteristic features.     

Specific Features of the Domain Structure of BaTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Crystals during Thermal Heating and Cooling

This paper presents the results of the study of the domain structure of barium titanate crystals in a wide temperature range including the Curie point (T_C) using the polarization-optical method in the reflected light and the force microscopy of the piezoelectric response. It is shown that a new a–c domain structure forms during cyclic heating of the crystal above T_C and subsequent cooling to the ferroelectric phase. The role of uncompensated charges appeared on the crystal surface during the phase transition and their influence on the formation of the domain structure during cooling are discussed.     

Domain structure in ferroelectric PbNb2O6

Single crystals of ferroelectric PbNb₂O₆ were grown employing a modification of the technique of Goodman. The results obtained on the domain structure were analysed and compared with those reported on BaTiO₃ and KNbO₃. The domain structure observed here corresponds to the twinning on (110) plane of the unit cell reported by Francombe and Lewis or the subcell reported by Labbe and others. The (001) planes were observed, as the crystal habit is such as to produce (001) planes, and the cleavage plane is also (001). Also the analysis of the observations can be done easily under these conditions. The domains observed are 90° domains with polar axis in (001) plane. Wedge shaped domains and spikes are present as in BaTiO₃ and KNbO₃. The twinning can occur also on plane producing a domain line at 90° with that due to twinning on (110). This gives patterns of perpendicular lines similar to those in KNbO₃ and BaTiO₃. Crystal structure considerations show that the domain structures with polarization in and out of the observed (001) plane are not possible, and also were not observed. In this sense, it is a two dimensional ferroelectric. The studies showed a peculiar grain structure in the crystals, and it can be explained on the basis of the growth habit of the crystal. The polarizing microscope is particularly useful in analysing the domain structure along with the grain structure.     

EPR and NMR line shapes in disordered ferroelectric crystals

A theory is developed for the magnetic resonance line shape in disordered ferroelectric crystals. In a study of the random fields responsible for inhomogeneous line broadening, nonlinear and spatial correlation effects are taken into account. It is shown that homogeneous broadening depends on the temperature and on the magnitude and orientation of the external magnetic field, as well as on the nonlinearity parameters of the ferroelectric material. The resonance line shape is calculated as the envelope of homogeneously broadened Lorentzian spin packets. Analytic expressions for I ₂(ω) and I ₃(ω) are introduced to account for nonlinearity and correlation effects of second and third order, respectively. Calculations are done for centrally symmetric crystals, as well as for those without a center of symmetry. It is shown that homogeneous broadening is important near the line peak, while the wings are determined mainly by inhomogeneous broadening. Manifestations of the predicted effects in the spectrum lines of disordered ferroelectric crystals are discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 340–347 (February 1998)     

Investigation of the physical properties of piezo-and ferroelectric crystals by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and topography

The acoustic properties of lanthanum-gallium tantalate crystals and the polar properties of ferroelectric lithium niobate crystals have been investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction and topography. It is shown that analysis of the diffraction spectra of acoustically modulated crystals makes it possible to determine the acoustic amplitudes and power flow angles. It was also demonstrated that investigation of the domain structure in ferroelectric crystals under the conditions of the inverse piezoelectric effect allows one to study the domain structure.     

聚片多畴LiNbO3晶体的倍频效应

通过对聚片多畴LiNbO₃晶体倍频效应的研究,从实验上对Bloembergen等人所提出的准位相匹配理论进行了细致的检验。首先运用Maker条纹法在实验上直接测定了单畴LiNbO₃晶体在e^ω·e^ω→e^2ω非位相匹配下的倍频光强,并采用角度扫描和温度扫描方法,以获得满足准位相匹配条件时的不同片数的聚片多畴晶体的最大倍频强度,从而验证了聚片多畴晶体倍频相对光强与片畴数N成平方关系。在N<200时,取得 关键词：     

Effect of the Sintering Temperature on the Formation of Ferroelectric Properties of a Lead Zirconate–Titanate Ceramic

Effect of the sintering temperature on the formation of the microstructure, the domain structure, and the ferroelectric properties of a lead zirconate–titanate Pb(Ti _x Zr_{1 – x})O₃ piezoelectric ceramics has been studied. It is shown that the ferroelectric phase forms at a sintering temperature of 860°C. At higher sintering temperatures, the main effect on the properties is due to a unit cell deformation and free charge carriers.     

Ultrasonic stress wave interaction with domain walls in KD2PO4

The experimental results on ultrasonic stress wave interaction with domain walls in KD₂PO₄ crystals are presented. It is shown that the interaction takes place only if stress waves are piezoelectrically coupled to ferroelectric polarization. The temperature dependence of domain wall mobility is found.