Nonlinear & Microstructured Optical Materials

The Nonlinear & Microstructured Optical Materials Group is led by Rob Eason.

Our research is focused on investigating and identifying methods for domain engineering, surface/bulk microstructuring, optical microstructuring of optical ferroelectrics such as lithium niobate (LiNbO₃) and lithium tantalate (LiTaO₃) in order to add functionality to these very important materials.

Of particular interest recently is the understanding of the interaction of these crystals with intense laser radiation in the visible and UV spectral regions and the implementation of such interactions for ferroelectric domain engineering microstructuring and surface activation.

• Direct writing of ferroelectric domains in lithium niobate
  Continuous wave or pulsed UV lasers are used to induce spatially selective ferroelectric domain inversion.

• Direct UV writing of waveguides

• Light assisted domain inversion in LiNbO₃
  Ultrafast laser illumination induces spatial selectivity of electric field induced ferroelectric domain inversion

• Surface activation
  Investigation and applications of UV laser induced super hydrophilicity in the sub-mm level

• LiNbO₃ 3D microstructures

• Microstructuring and optical nonlinearity
  Nonlinear optics in lithium niobate microstructures

• Nonlinear optical waveguides
  Surface domain inversion in LiNbO₃ applied to optical waveguide systems for Nonlinear optical processes

Research funding is provided by:

• EPSRC Portfolio Partnership in Photonics (grant reference EP/C515668/1)
• EU STREP "3D-DEMO" www.3d-demo.org/

GR/S47373/01 Light-induced domain engineering in ferroclectrics: a route to sub-micron poling

GR/S09999/01 Single-step UV direct-writing of channel waveguides in lithium niobate and lithium tantalate single crystals

GR/R46663/01 Feasibility study of focussed ion beam (FIB) direct write for micro-photonic applications

GR/R47295/01 Light-induced frustrated etching (LIFE) studies in LiNbO₃: latency effects and periodic micro-structuring

GR/N00302/01 ROPA: Microstructured LiNbO₃: Applications to MEMS technology

To search for a full list of our publications visit our publications database

• University of Bonn http://lxsa.physik.uni-bonn.de/hertz/index_e.html
• Technical University of Athens http://www.ntua.gr/en_index.htm
• EPFL http://www.epfl.ch/
• CNRS-FEMTO http://www.femto-st.fr/
• ABCD Technology http://www.abcd-technology.com/
• Epichem http://www.epichem.com/epichem_group/index.html
• Saes Getters http://www.saesgetters.com/
• INFLPR http://www.inflpr.ro/

The FAST Lab

The FAST Lab (Femtosecond Applications of Science & Technology) is a multi-user facility that hosts several projects from this group more...