Observation of the Photoinduced Conductivity in a Regular Domain Structure with Tilted Walls in MgO:LiNbO3 at a Wavelength of 632.8 nm at Bragg Diffraction

A 632.8-nm radiation-induced change in the conductivity of a regular domain structure (RDS) formed in a 5% MgO:LiNbO₃ crystal has been detected for the first time. As a result, the relaxation rate for the Bragg diffraction efficiency on the RDS, which is observed after the application of an external electric field, increases with the intensity of a probe beam. This dependence is linear in the initial stage of relaxation caused by the screening of the external field because of the redistribution of charges over tilted conductive domain walls of the RDS. For the probe beam with an intensity of 49 mW/mm², the induced effective conductivity of the RDS, which is estimated as σ_eff = 3.5×10⁻⁹Ω⁻¹m⁻¹, is more than four orders of magnitude higher than the dark conductivity of the single-domain MgO:LiNbO₃ sample.

     

Complex study of bulk screening processes in single crystals of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate family

Comprehensive study of depolarization field bulk screening was carried out in lithium niobate and lithium tantalate single crystals with various stoichiometry. Three used complementary methods are based on: 1) dependence of coercive field on delay time; 2) decrease of optical contrast of domain wall trace; 3) relaxation of light diffraction intensity on domain walls. The following parameters of bulk screening process were obtained: relaxation time constants, type of relaxation law, maximal value of bias field and “true” value of coercive field. Advantages and disadvantages of used experimental methods were analyzed.     

Diffraction of Light on a Regular Domain Structure with Inclined Walls in MgO:LiNbO3

JETP Letters - Features of the Bragg diffraction of a Gaussian light beam on a regular domain structure with inclined 180° domain walls in a 5% MgO:LiNbO3 crystal have been studied...