Study of LiNbO3 single crystals with a regular domain structure by piezoresponse force microscopy

Lithium niobate crystals with a regular domain structure have been studied by piezoresponse force microscopy. The period of regular domains and the domain-wall width (w = 45 nm) have been calculated for Z- and Y-cut crystals based on an analysis of two-dimensional images of the domain-structure piezoresponse. It is shown that for the Y-cut crystal, both positive and negative domain boundaries can be identified when recording the lateral component of piezoresponse.