Switching kinetics of 180 degrees domains in telluric acid ammonium phosphate crystals with large unipolarity

The switching process in unipolar telluric acid ammonium phosphate crystal has been studied by a combination of optical observation of the domain stru cture in low electric fields and electrical switching measurements in high fields. The stabilization mechanism of 180 degrees domains appears to have a correlation to a defect-induced internal field E-b in the crystal. In cry stal sample with E-b>E-c (E-c, coercive field measured from D-E hysteresis loop), the spontaneous repolarization of the crystal occurs after the remov al of the applied field. It has been found that E-b acts as a driving field causing nucleation and growth of back-switching domains. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.