The effect of x-ray irradiation on polarization switching properties of a glycine phosphite (GPI) single crystal is investigated using the Merz technique. GPI undergoes a paraelectric to ferroelectric phase transition at 224.7 K. Switching studies were performed in the temperature range of 173–221 K with the applied field varying from 1.1 to 4.9 kV/cm. X-ray irradiation causes an increase in the threshold field below which switching could not occur. The activation energy for the domain wall motion is found to increase with irradiation from 0.12 eV for a pristine sample to 0.34 eV after irradiating it for 20 min. The temperature dependence of domain wall mobility shows an unusual behavior with the radiation dosage. The calculated domain wall mobility increases with the exposure time, which is contrary to expectation. This apparent increase in mobility with exposure time is attributed to the creation of a large number of radiation induced defects, identified as PO32− radicals, resulting in the loss of effective switchable volume of the sample.
Near-stoichiometric lithium niobate (SLN) crystals doped with up to 1.6 mol % Zn and codoped with various Nd concentrations in the melt (0.2, 0.5, 0.9, and 1.5 mol %) (Nd:Zn:SLN) are grown from 58.6 mol % Li(2)O using conventional Czochralski technique. Crystals are pulled at the rate of 0.35 mmh with seed rotation at 9 rpm. Concentrations of Zn and Nd in the crystal are varied by adding appropriate amounts of ZnO and Nd(2)O(3) to the starting composition. Unit cell parameters of the grown crystals are calculated by Rietveld refinement method using FULLPROFF software. Domain structure studies are carried out by chemical etching followed by microscopic examination. Dielectric studies reveal the existence of piezoelectric resonance at high frequencies. Enhancement in dielectric constant and tan delta in Nd doped samples has been attributed to the space charge polarization. Nd doped samples exhibit reduction in the relative permittivity after oxygen annealing. Transmission spectra of Nd:Zn:SLN crystals in the UV region exhibit blueshift in the cutoff wavelength. In Mid Infrared (MIR) region crystals doped with 1.6 mol % Zn have shift in the OH absorption peak from 2873 to 2833 nm. Judd-Ofelt analysis carried out on the absorption spectra of codoped crystal yields the lifetime of 104 mus for the metastable state (4)F(32). The branching ratio for the electronic transition from (4)F(32) to (4)I(112) is high compared to that for (4)F(32) to (4)I(132), indicating a higher emission cross section for the former transition. Laser damage threshold evaluated using 532 nm, 5 ns pulsed neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser, shows an increase by two orders of magnitude for crystals doped with 1.6 mol % Zn. Photorefractive damage threshold for these crystals shows an enhancement of four orders of magnitude due to increase in the photoconductivity.
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