POLARIZATION REVERSAL IN LINBO3 CRYSTALS UNDER ASYMMETRIC DIFFUSION CONDITIONS

It is shown that domain inversion in LiNbO3 crystals stimulated by hea t treatment depends on boundary conditions. Limitation of outdiffusion from -C surface leads to the appearance of an inverted layer with the thickness more than one-half of a crystal thickness. Consequent indif fusion preserves the bidomain structure but reduces the inverted layer depth. The phenomenon is explained in terms of the built-in electric field caused by diffusion process. (C) 1994 American Institute of Phys ics.