Preparation and properties of (Pb, La)(Zr,Ti)O3 ferroelectric thin films for electro-optic applications

Ferroelectric lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT 9/65/35) thin films were deposited on single crystal MgO (001) and fused silica substrates using a sol-gel method. A pure perovskite phase can be achieved in the thin films by post-annealing the thin films at 680 degrees C for 10 min in an oxygen atmosphere using a rapid thermal processor (RTP). Optical properties of PLZT (9/65/35) thin films including optical transmittance, band gap energy and electro-optic (E-O) coefficients were measured. The thin films are highly transparent in the visible region. Relatively large quadratic E-O effects are exhibited by the thin films. In comparison, PLZT thin film grown on MgO (001) substrate has better optical properties and a higher quadratic E-O coefficient of 0.525 x 10(-17) m(2)/V-2.