Dresden 2006 – scientific programme

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DF: Dielektrische Festkörper

DF 11: Electric, Electromechanical and Optical Properties II

DF 11.2: Talk

Friday, March 31, 2006, 11:30–11:50, M{\"U}L Elch

Characterization of Periodically-Poled Lithium Niobate Crystals using External Electric Fields* — •Michael Kösters¹, Ulrich Hartwig¹, Theo Woike¹, Karsten Buse¹, and Boris Sturman² — ¹Institute of Physics, University of Bonn, Wegelerstraße 8, D-53115 Bonn, Germany — ²Institute of Automation and Electrometry, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia

A nondestructive method for characterizing copper-doped periodically-poled lithium niobate crystals (PPLN) using external electric fields is presented. The samples are irradiated with a laser beam of the wavelength λ = 633 nm; simultaneously electric fields of up to 6 kV/mm are applied. The resulting refractive index pattern inside the crystal, which is not solely due to the electro-optic effect, but also due to effects at the domain walls, creates a diffraction pattern behind the crystal. The model used to describe this pattern allows to determine important properties of PPLN such as the duty cycle. It also gives information on properties of the domain walls. This is of great importance for applications using quasi phase-matching, e.g. second harmonic generation and optical parametrical oscillation.

*Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR 557) and from the Deutsche Telekom AG is gratefully acknowledged.