Lecture
WEB Aspects of Lithium Niobate-Tantalate Solid Solution Single Crystal Growth
Tuesday (22.09.2020) 10:10 - 10:25 F: Functional Materials, Surfaces, and Devices 2 Part of:Lithium niobate (LiNbO3, LN) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO3, LT) belong to the most widely used ferroelectric materials, with applications that range from novel electronic and micro-mechanical devices to (integrated, nonlinear) optics. Recently, solid-solution-grown lithium niobate-tantalate (LiTaxNb1-xO3, LNT) single crystals have been demonstrated. LNT potentially might outperform pure LN and LT applications, since offering superior material properties such as the tailored birefringence combined with large temperature stability.
Crystallization of LNT solid solutions from the melt is characterized by a strong segregation leading to a pronounced macro-distribution of components and, occasionally, to cellular growth [3,4]. In this contribution here, we critically review previous attempts to manufacture LNT single crystals, and discuss novel approaches that promise LNT single crystals of enhanced chemical homogeneity. A phase diagram of the quasi-binary system based on a thermal analysis will be presented along with the results of our first crystal growth experiments.
[1] T. Fukuda and H. Hirano, J. Crystal Growth 33, 127 (1976).
[2] A. Bartasyte et al., Mater. Chem. Phys. 134, 728 (2012).
