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Growth and decay processes of linear domains in lithium niobate single crystals fabricated utilizing scanning probe microscopy were investigated. It is found that the initial configuration of linear domains is dependent on the fabrication parameters as scan velocity and voltage. The linear domains decay at the part where the domain width is small for two different processes. A comparison of critical stable domain size between dot and linear domains was carried out. The critical linear domain width is 0.7 times as large as the critical diameter of dot domain at the same sample thickness due to their smaller surface energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LiNbO3 crystal was polarized and characterized by the piezoresponse force mode of scanning probe microscope. By using the Kolmogorov-Avrami-Ishibashi [Izv. Akad. Nauk, USSR: Ser. Math. 3, 355 (1937); J. Chem. Phys. 8, 212 (1940); J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 63, 1031 (1994); 63, 1601 (1994)] theory to analyze the relaxation process after domain switching, it was found that (1) the percent of final switched domains after poling increased with the enhancing poling voltage, (2) the nucleation time was a constant to a certain sample, (3) the dimension of domain growth decreased with the enhancing poling voltage, and (4) the relaxation time had a maximum at a medial voltage. The corresponding mechanism for domain switching was discussed, which is hopefully useful for domain engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]