Electric field poling of lithium niobate crystals after proton-exchanged channel waveguide fabrication

Abstract

An electric field poling and domain evolution in congruent lithium niobate wafers with α phase proton exchanged channel waveguides were studied experimentally. A piezoresponse force microscopy and the study of an etching rate showed a presence of a spontaneous polarization in the waveguide region and an ability to create tailored domain structures inside the proton exchanged channel waveguides. It was shown by the in situ visualization of the domain evolution that the proton exchanged channel waveguide acted as a region with an increased value of a threshold field for domain growth. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.