The role of defects in light induced domain inversion in lithium niobate

摘要

Using the tightly focussed laser beam within a confocal luminescence microscope we were able to induce electric space charge fields through photoionization of trace defects in lithium niobate. These fields are sufficient to selectively induce domain inversion when a additional external field is applied that is below the regular coercive field. Once a domain is nucleated it grows laterally in a direction that can be dictated by the laser. We studied the presence and the range of the space charge fields utilizing the electro-optical effect and the Stark shifts observed in emission spectra of Er~(3+) ions.