PHOTOACTIVATED BIREFRINGENCE IN ANTIFERROELECTRIC THIN-FILMS VIA A STRUCTURAL TRANSITION

A photoactivated birefringence has been observed in an antiferroelectr ic lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film material bounded by an indi um-tin oxide (ITO) electrode. This phenomenon stemmed from the ultravi olet (UV) assistance to an antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric structur al. transition which otherwise was inhibited by an effect of the lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-ITO interface. The UV-assisted structural tra nsition was accompanied by a significant change in the birefringence o f the PZT thin films. Using this phenomenon, an UV-addressed visible-l ight modulation was demonstrated with an ITO/PZT/Pt thin film structur e on silicon substrates. (C) 1994 American Institute of Physics.