Domain characteristics and chemical bonds of lithium niobate

Domain characteristics such as domain shape, domain switching, and etching rate at Z-surfaces of lithium niobate (LN) single crystals are comprehensively studied from the chemical bonding viewpoint. The present work shows that the domain characteristics are closely correlated to anisotropic bonding behaviors of constituent ions, which may be regarded as a microscopic reflection of detailed conditions of the chemical bonding geometry and strength of Li+ and Nb5+ cations in the LN crystallographic frame.