Domain Nanotechnology in Lithium Niobate and Lithium Tantalate Crystals

The recent achievements in study and interpretation of the formation of self-assembled nanodomain structures in the single crystals of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate under the highly non-equilibrium switching conditions have been reviewed. The experimentally used switching conditions include: 1) spontaneous backswitching, 2) modification of the surface layers, and 3) pulse laser irradiation. Various evolution scenarios of nanoscale structures consisting of the oriented chains of isolated nanodomains and the growth of nanodomain rays have been revealed and discussed. It is confirmed that the screening ineffectiveness and switching field value unambiguously determined the proper scenario of domain evolution.