Polarization mechanism of LiNbO₃ crystal due to thermoelectric power and current-induced electric fields during growth via micro-pulling-down method

The mechanism of polarization due to thermoelectric power and current-induced electric fields during the growth of LiNbO₃ crystals was studied using a micro-pulling-down method. With no applied electric current, a +c single-domain crystal was grown regardless of the domain orientation of the seed crystal. This +c domain growth was consistent with the direction of the electric field caused by the thermoelectric power in the liquid, despite an opposing electric field in the solid due to the opposite sign of the Seebeck coefficient. Thus, it was the electric field in the liquid that determined the domain structure of the growing crystal. On the other hand, when a current was applied from the melt to the crystal, a -c domain crystal was grown. The electric current required for this domain inversion to occur became larger as the temperature gradient in the solid phase decreased. This shows that the electric field in the solid phase became large enough to induce domain inversion from +c to -c through a combination of the thermoelectric power in the solid phase and current-induced electric field.