Novel Material Platforms with Reduced Dimensionality for Next Generation Ferroelectric Photonics

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Ferroelectric lithium niobate crystals (LiNbO3) as well as lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) are very relevant materials for applications. They serve, e.g., as electro-optic modulators powering our information highways. They are also employed as frequency converters for realizing compact and efficient green lasers. Within the project we want to explore the peculiarities of two-, one-, and zero-dimensional crystals (films, stripes, nanocrystals). The reduction of the dimensionality promises new material properties, e.g., an improved poling behavior. We are looking for the fundamental issues, e.g., how the surfaces are terminated: Structural changes in proximity of the surface are expected, and defects and local charge accumulations may play an important role on these small length scales. Several experimental spectroscopic and microscopic methods will be employed, in conjunction with the development of theoretical considerations. The results may lead to new applications, e.g., ultrafast electro-optic modulation and the generation of terahertz waves. The complementary transatlantic team (Dierolf, Lehigh University, spectroscopy; Kip, Hamburg, integrated optics; Buse, Bonn, photosensitivity and crystal defects; Sohler, Paderborn, nonlinear Optics) is ideally suited to work successfully on this challenging project.