LARGE PHOTOINDUCED FERROELECTRIC COERCIVE FIELD INCREASE AND PHOTODEFINED DOMAIN PATTERN IN LITHIUM-TANTALATE CRYSTAL

We found that the ferroelectric coercive field of LiTaO3, both in forw ard and reverse directions, can be increased in large amount by high p ower multiline argon laser illumination. This phenomenon is especially profound when the coercive field measurement is performed closer in t ime to the previous domain inversion operation. We also demonstrated t hat the domain in lithium-tantalate crystal can be patterned in accord ance with the argon laser light distribution on the crystal plate surf ace. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.