Evidence for light-induced hole polarons in LiNbO3.

Transient light-induced absorption in LiNbO3 is observed in the blue-green spectral range after pulsed illumination with 532 nm. Its buildup and decay in Fe-doped LiNbO3 is satisfactorily described by a sum of two stretched exponential functions. For undoped LiNbO3, however, only one stretched exponential decay is observed. These experimental results are explained by the formation of both small Nb(Li)4+ electron polarons and O- hole polarons. The mechanism is discussed on the basis of a proposed band scheme.

Change from 3D-Ising to random field-Ising-model criticality in a uniaxial relaxor ferroelectric.

Pyroelectric measurements of polarization have been used to determine the temperature dependence of the polarization in strontium barium niobate, SBN:Ce, close to its phase transition temperature T(c) approximately 317 K. A gradual increase of the critical exponent from beta approximately 0.13 to beta approximately 0.30 is observed when decreasing the initial polarization from 100% to 0.8% of the saturation value. A change from three-dimensional random-field Ising to pure Ising model behavior is conjectured and explained by a gradual compensation of quenched random electric fields by those emerging from charged fractal nanodomain walls.

New parametric scattering in photorefractive Sr0.61Ba0.39Nb2O6:Cr.

A new class of light-induced parametric scattering, not included in the conventional model, has been discovered in photorefractive Sr(0.61)Ba(0.39)Nb(2)O(6):Cr illuminated by two coherent beams. A novel model of multiwave mixing of coherent noise and transmitted light is developed to explain the new scattering phenomena. The model includes all known types and predicts a multitude of new types of parametric scattering. Generalized phase-matching conditions for parametric scattering in photorefractive crystals are proposed.

Polarization-based adjustable memory behavior in relaxor ferroelectrics.

The irreversible decay of the spontaneous polarization above the phase-transition temperature is a limiting factor in any application of ferroelectric crystals. Here we show that electric fields applied at high temperatures induce a preferred direction in the crystal which is stable even after repeated heating and cooling through the phase transition. This preference in direction leads to a reorientation of domains in the ferroelectric phase. We use pyroelectric measurements to show that the directional preference originates from internal charge carriers interacting with domain walls.