OPTICAL CONTROL OF ELECTRIC-FIELD POLING IN LITAO3

A room temperature technique is presented for optically inducing perio dic domain-inverted structures in bulk (0.2 mm thick) LiTaO3. By simul taneous application of an electric field and patterned illumination us ing UV wavelengths (351 and 364 nm), we demonstrate modulation of the resulting domain profile. We discuss the origins of the observed optic al effect and describe our results from repeated domain switching, by cycling the electric field. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.