Holographic surface gratings in iron-doped lithium niobate

Surface gratings associated with holographic volume gratings in photorefractive crystals of iron-doped lithium niobate have been studied using diffraction of a reflected probe beam and high-resolution phase-shifted interferometric profilometry. Both techniques show that the surface gratings exist in the form of periodical corrugations of the same period as that of the volume grating. The maximum amplitude of the periodical surface relief measured by both techniques is close to 6.5 nm. We also demonstrated that the periodical electric forces on the surface were capable of assembling polystyrene microspheres along the fringes of the grating. Large amplitude of the periodic electric field (1.6x10(4) V/cm) is associated with the photogalvanic effect. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.