Compositional and structural analysis of iron doped X-cut lithium niobate crystals.

We present a systematic study on the correlation between the compositional and structural properties of iron doped X-cut lithium niobate crystals doped by the thermal diffusion of thin iron film deposited via radio frequency (RF) sputtering varying the preparation conditions. The iron concentration profiles measured by using secondary ion mass spectrometry were properly fitted to determine the iron diffusion coefficients and the activation energy of the diffusion process. High resolution X-ray diffraction technique was used to study the crystalline quality of the doped region and to estimate the strain induced by the dopant incorporation. Depending on the preparation condition compressive and tensile strains were found in the diffused region.