Ferroelectric Domain Gratings in Strontium Barium Niobate Induced by Photorefractive Space Charge Fields

Abstract
We demonstrate that illuminating a photoconducting strontium barium niobate crystal with a low intensity optical standing wave generates space charge fields which induce ferroelectric domain gratings. We study the formation and decay kinetics of these domain gratings using a short exposure technique and present a thermodynamic model of the fixing mechanism.