CRYSTAL-GROWTH AND LOW COERCIVE FIELD 180-DEGREES DOMAIN SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS OF STOICHIOMETRIC LITAO3

We grew LiTaO3 single crystals with a composition close to stoichiomet ry by using a double crucible Czochralski method. The switching field required for 180 degrees ferroelectric domain reversal and the interna l fields originating from nonstoichiometric point defects were compare d for the stoichiometric and conventional commercially available cryst als. The switching fields for the domain reversal in the stoichiometri c crystal with a Curie temperature of 685 degrees C was 1.7 kV/mm. Thi s is about one thirteenth of the switching field required for the conv entional LiTaO3 crystals with a Curie temperature near 600 degrees C. The internal field in the stoichiometric crystal drastically decreased to 0.1 kV/mm. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98) 00847-X].