All-Optical Domain Inversion in LiNbO Crystals by Visible Continuous-Wave Laser Irradiation.

LiNbO is a distinguished multifunctional material where ferroelectric domain engineering is of paramount importance. This degree of freedom of the spontaneous polarization remarkably enhances the applicability of LiNbO, for instance, in photonics. In this work, we report the first method for all-optical domain inversion of LiNbO crystals using continuous-wave visible light.

Thermally assisted fabrication of nonlinear photonic structures in lithium niobate with femtosecond laser pulses.

Engineered domain structures play an essential role in nonlinear optics for quasi-phase-matched parametric processes. Pyroelectric field-assisted domain inversion with focused femtosecond laser pulses is a promising approach to create arbitrary two-dimensional nonlinear photonic structures in a large volume without externally applied electrical fields. We fabricate lattices of ferroelectric domains by patterning lithium niobate crystals with femtosecond laser pulses and then heating them to elevated temperatures.