| Understanding the mutual interaction of extrinsic and intrinsic defects with the ferroelectric domain walls of LiNbO3 is the key to achieve domain patterns on the sub-micron scale. For that reason the influence of domain inversion on the Er3+ defect was investigated in a detailed study, in which energetic shifts and changes in the intensity ratio of individual Er3+ sites were found. The results led to an improved model describing the Er3+ defect in LiNbO3 and to the introduction of a concept of an atomistic probe. This atomistic probe allows the determination of the orientation of the ferroelectric axis by means of optical spectroscopy and allows three-dimensional imaging of domain structures with high spatial resolution without topographic artifacts. For this purpose a confocal luminescence microscope was developed, adapted to allow investigation at low temperature and applied electric fields.; Based on the concept of an atomistic probe, the interaction of Er and Ti dopants was investigated, and significant spectral broadening and line shifting were found. Calibrating these changes to the [Ti4+]-concentration allows imaging of [Ti4+]-profiles, as found in integrated optical devices. The [Ti4+]-concentration profile can be imaged without artifacts caused by topology, intensity fluctuations, or variations in the [Er3+]-concentration profile.; A novel approach was introduced for directly writing ferroelectric domain patterns into LiNbO3 substrates using the confocal microscope to focus visible light from an argon ion laser to a diffraction limited spot. It was shown that space charge fields, created by light with a wavelength of 488nm, can reduce the external applied field needed for domain inversion by up to 30%. So far, structures with a period down to 8mum have been demonstrated.; In-situ experiments during domain inversion demonstrated the possibility to monitor the domain inversion process in-situ with a temporal resolution of up to t = 7ms. It could be demonstrated that the width of the domain wall region is different for static and dynamic measurements and that the reconfiguration of the defect structures and the lattice takes place on time scales of 0.5s to a few seconds. |
