Lithium niobate (LN) and lithium tantalate (LT) ferroelectric crystals are widely used in the field of nonlinear and integrated optics, in acoustics and in other fields due to their outstanding properties. We report scanning electron microscopy (SEM) application for non-invasive domain structure of the crystals visualization and investigation. The SEM was used to study periodically poled (PPLN) and opposite domain structures (ODLN). In addition to the information about the domain shape and sizes, SEM can give information about potential relief distribution on the crystal surfaces, different defects and impurities due to various behavior of surface charging upon electron beam irradiation. Using the surface charging technique, we studied different type of domain walls.

In the investigated samples, periodic domain inversion was initiated by the aftergrowth thermoelectrical treatment[1] and by crystal growth conditions [2]. The congruent LN crystals and crystals with different dopants were investigated and compared.

Analysis of the structures has shown that “tail-to-tail” domain walls are distorted more than others and displayed special images at negative surface charging. The results were supported by x-ray examination of different domain walls in LN and LT. The charge domain boundary images in different crystals were comparatively investigated. The experimental results have demonstrated possibilities of the charging technique for periodical domain structure diagnostic and investigation.

1. N.A.Sorokin , V.V.Antipov, A.A.Blistanov,Ferroelectrics 167, 267 (1995)

2. Red’kin Boris, Ferroelectrics, 158,145 (1994).

This work was supported by RFBR ( grant 06-02-16104 )

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