We report ferroelectric domain inversion in strontium barium niobate (SBN) single crystals by irradiating the surface locally with a strongly focused ultraviolet (UV) laser beam. The generated domains are investigated using piezoresponse force microscopy. We propose a simple model that allows predicting the domain width as a function of the irradiation intensity, which indeed applies for both SBN and LiNbO 3. Evidently, though fundamentally different, the domain structure of both SBN and LiNbO 3 can be engineered through similar UV irradiation. V

No abstract

Ferroelectric domains are engineered in lithium niobate crystals by scanning strongly absorbed UV laser light across the crystal surface. Focused UV laser light can not only write, but also erase previously written domains on the non-polar faces of lithium niobate, which allows tailoring of domain patterns. Such domain pattern were generated and afterwards investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy and hydrofluoric acid etching. It was found that domains with dimensions down to 2 µm can be engineered, which was ∼30% of the focus beam diameter (7 µm) used for writing the domains. Additionally, it was found that an unique domain depth profile can be formed, which is inclined to the crystallographic axes and can be described as 'halfcrescent-shaped'.