Third column electro-optical coefficients of zirconium-doped congruent lithium niobate crystals

• Third column electro-optic coefficients of Zr-doped congruent LiNbO3 crystals.
• Methods based on interferometric and Sénarmont optical arrangements (λ = 633 nm, RT).
• Unclamped and clamped EO coefficients are constant with Zr except for Zr = 2 mol%.
• Acoustic contribution deduced from experiments is constant with Zr concentration.
• EO behavior of LN:Zr was confirmed by dielectric characterizations.

All coefficients of the third-column of the unclamped and clamped electro-optic tensor of zirconium-doped congruent LiNbO3 single crystals, in the concentration range up to 2.5 mol%, are determined as function of the dopant concentration by direct techniques based on interferometric and Sénarmont optical arrangements at the wavelength of 633 nm and at room temperature. It is found that all the unclamped and clamped electro-optic coefficients are relatively constant, except for the sample doped with 2 mol% of zirconium. From the obtained experimental values, the acoustic contribution is then deduced and found constant over all the studied samples. Finally, the electro-optic behavior of LN:Zr as function of the dopant concentration was confirmed by dielectric characterizations.