Application of the second harmonic generation microscope to nondestructive observation of periodically poled ferroelectric domains in quasi-phase-matched wavelength converters

A technique for observation of 180 degrees domains in ferroelectric crystals is demonstrated by the use of the second harmonic generation (SHG) microscope. The phase reversal of the SH wave accompanying inversion of spontaneous polarization is exploited to visualize domains. Interference between SH waves converts the phase information to the SH contrast. The domain mapping is achieved in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3 by nonlinear coefficients d(33) and d(22) under the microscope, which enables the characterization of a periodically poled structure in quasi-phase-matched wavelength converters in a nondestructive way. The validity of the technique is proved by another characterizing tool of destructive etching. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.