Complex study of bulk screening processes in single crystals of lithium niobate and lithium tantalate family

Comprehensive study of depolarization field bulk screening was carried out in lithium niobate and lithium tantalate single crystals with various stoichiometry. Three used complementary methods are based on: 1) dependence of coercive field on delay time; 2) decrease of optical contrast of domain wall trace; 3) relaxation of light diffraction intensity on domain walls. The following parameters of bulk screening process were obtained: relaxation time constants, type of relaxation law, maximal value of bias field and “true” value of coercive field. Advantages and disadvantages of used experimental methods were analyzed.