Исследование структурного совершенства монокристаллов ниобата лития разного состава и генезиса методом ИК спектроскопии в области валентных колебаний водородных связей

We have analyzed complex defects due to the presence of hydrogen bonds in the crystal structure in nominally pure lithium niobate crystals with different Li/Nb ratio, in crystals alloyed with magnesium and zinc in a wide concentration range (LiNbO3 : Mg (0.19-5.91 mol.% MgO) and LiNbO3 : Zn (0.04-6.5 mol. % ZnO)) and in the double-alloyed crystals (LiNbO3 : Y(0.24) : Mg(0.63 wt. %) and LiNbO3 : Gd (0.25) : Mg(0.75 wt. %)), obtained by technology of direct melt alloying, and also in the double-alloyed crystal (LiNbO3 : Mg(5. 05 mol.% MgO) : Fe(0.009 mol.% Fe2O3)) grown from a charge synthesized using the technology of homogeneous alloying with magnesium and iron Nb2O5. We revealed the influence of doping impurities on the concentration of OH-groups, the type and localization of complex defects in the crystal structure. The change in the number of hydrogen atom positions in the structure of the LiNbO3 crystal allow us to judge with sufficient accuracy whether the crystal composition is stoichiometric or congruent. For doped crystals of different compositions data were obtained testifying to changes in the character of complexation of OH-groups with point defects of the cationic sublattice with formation of defects: MеLi-OH-, MеLi-MеNb-OН. A change in the mechanism of entry of the dopant cation into the structure dramatically affects the change in the properties of the crystal.The difference in the frequencies (and, correspondingly, in the values of the quasi-elastic constants of the O-H bonds) in the spectrum of a congruent crystal and doped crystals can also be contributed by differences in the electronegativity and ionic radii of the principal and doping cations.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF DOPING IONS OF YTTRIUM AND BORON FORMATION OF DEFECTS IN LITHIUM NIOBATE CRYSTALS

Кристалл ниобата лития, являющийся широко используемым и весьма востребованным в настоящее время нелинейно-оптическим материалом, примечателен своей способностью к варьирования широкого спектра сегнетоэлектрических и нелинейно-оптических характеристик в зависимости от типа и концентрации примесного иона, а также от соотношения Li / Nb . На основе разработанного нами подхода к моделированию кластеров в кристалле ниобата лития, в котором рост кластера идёт не элементарными ячейками, а кислородными октаэдрами, проведён сравнительный анализ особенностей внедрения в кристалл примесных ионов иттрия и бора с одинаковым зарядом +3 . Показано, что встраивание, вследствие различного ионного радиуса, идёт по двум механизмам: если для металла иттрия действует обычный механизм, когда примесной ион локализуется внутри кислородного октаэдра, то ион неметаллического элемента бора встраивается в тетраэдрические пустоты структуры, а именно в кислородные плоскости, образующие октаэдр. При этом влияние данных примесных ионов на одну из важнейших характеристик ниобата лития оказывается диаметрально противоположным: иттрий усиливает фоторефрактивный эффект, бор -понижает, что необходимо учитывать при направлении целевого использования кристаллов ниобата лития. Lithium niobate crystals, which are a widely used and highly demanded as nonlinear optical material, are remarkable for their ability to vary a wide range of ferroelectric and nonlinear optical characteristics depending on the type and concentration of the impurity ion, as well as on the Li / Nb ratio. Based on our approach to modeling clusters in the lithium niobate crystal, in which the cluster grows not by unit cells, but by oxygen octahedra, we have carried out a comparative analysis of the features of the incorporation of impurity ions of yttrium and boron with the same charge +3 into the crystal. It is shown that due to the different ionic radii the incorporation proceeds by to two mechanisms. If for yttrium the usual mechanism operates, when the impurity ion is localized inside the oxygen octahedron. The ion of boron, i.e. a nonmetallic element, is incorporated into the tetrahedral voids of the structure, namely, into the oxygen planes forming the octahedron. In this case, the influence of these impurity ions on one of the most important characteristics of lithium niobate turns out to be diametrically opposite: yttrium enhances the photorefractive effect, boron decreases it, which must be taken into account in the direction of targeted use of lithium niobate crystals.

HYDROGEN BONDS IN LITHIUM NIOBATE CRYSTALS OF DIFFERENT COMPOSITION

Методом ИК-спектроскопии в области валентных колебаний OH - групп выполнен анализ комплексных дефектов, обусловленных наличием в структуре кристалла водородных связей, в номинально чистых кристаллах ниобата лития конгруэнтного и стехиометрического состава с разным отношением Li / Nb, а также в кристаллах LiNbO: Zn(0,04 - 6,5 мол.% ZnO), легированных цинком в широком диапазоне концентраций, полученным по технологии прямого легирования расплава. Выявлено влияние легирующих примесей на концентрацию OH - групп, вид и локализацию комплексных дефектов в структуре кристалла. Показано, что изменение количества позиций атомов водорода в структуре кристалла LiNbO позволяет с достаточной точностью судить о соответствии его состава стехиометрическому или конгруэнтному составу. Для легированных кристаллов LiNbO : Zn(0,04 - 6,5 мол.% ZnO) получены данные, свидетельствующие об изменении при прохождении концентрационных порогов характера комплексообразования OH - групп с точечными дефектами катионной подрешетки. При этом, вследствие изменения механизма вхождения легирующего катиона в структуру кардинально изменяются свойства кристалла. Вклад в различие частот (и, соответственно, в значение квазиупругих постоянных связей OH -) в спектре конгруэнтного кристалла и легированных кристаллов может вносить также различие электроотрицательностей и ионных радиусов основных и легирующих катионов. An analysis of complex defects was carried out by IR-spectroscopy method in the area of OH - groups stretching vibrations. The defects are caused by hydrogen bonds present in the structure of nominally pure congruent lithium niobate crystals, crystals of stoichiometric composition with a different Li / Nb ratio, as well as in LiNbO: Zn(0,04 - 6,5 мол.% ZnO) crystals doped in a wide range of concentrations due to direct doping of the melt method. Dopants were determined to influence OH - groups concentration, type and localization of complex defects in the crystals structure. A change in the amount of hydrogen sites in the LiNbO crystals structure was shown to evaluate the composition either stoichiometric or congruent. The character of OH - groups complexing with cation sublattice point defects was shown to change when doped crystals LiNbO: Zn(0,04 - 6,5 мол.% ZnO) trespass concentration thresholds. Dopant incorporation mechanism changes at this drastically, thus crystal properties also change quite sharply. Frequencies (as well as quasi-elastic constants of OH - bonds) change in congruent and doped crystals due to a difference in electronegativities and ionic radii of the main and dopant cations.

Photoluminescence in near ir-region of lithium niobate crystals of different composition and genesis

The dependence of photoluminescent of lithium niobate crystals of different composition and genesis in the near IR- region on stoichiometry, Zn concentration, doping method was observed. It was found that increasing in stoichiometry leaded to decreasing in the photoluminescence. At Zn = 6.5 mol. % in the LiNbO3 crystal an intense emission was observed at 1.45 eV with simultaneous quenching of the NbLi emission. Homogeneous doping method of LiNbO3:Mg,Zn crystal allowed to enhance the luminescence in the region of 1.3–1.5 eV relative to the crystals obtained by direct doping method of the melt.

Calculation of nonlinear optical properties of lithium niobate crystals

The coefficients of the second-order nonlinear optical tensor for lithium niobate crystal with a composition close to stoichiometric were calculated. The calculated results show that the contribution of the Li-O group to the optical effects of the second harmonic was greater than the contribution of the Nb-O group. The results also showed that the most efficient frequency conversion occurred along the polar axis of the crystal

X-RAY studies of ferroelectric lithium niobate crystals doped with rare earth elements

The lattice structural distortions of LiNbO3 crystals doped with samarium with a concentration of 1.0, 1.9, 2.5 mol. % were studied by X-ray diffraction methods. It was found that the samarium atoms and some of the niobium atoms occupied the vacant positions of lithium in the crystal lattice, and some of the niobium atoms were located in the empty octahedron. The octahedra of SmLiO6 was distorted more strongly than octahedra of NbLiO6 when niobium atoms entered the vacant positions of lithium. The smallest changes in the bond lengths in the octahedra of the main motif and in the defect region as well as along the polar axis in the lithium niobate lattice were observed in the sample with a samarium concentration of 2.5 mol. %.