Electro-optic behavior of lithium niobate at cryogenic temperatures

The unclamped relative permittivity, epsilon(T)(33) B, and the Pockels coefficient, r(33)(T), of congruent lithium niobate at a frequency f = 5760 Hz have been determined at low temperatures (7 K < T < 300 K). A He cryostat setup mounted to one arm of an electronically phase-stabilized Michelson interferometer was utilized for the measurement of r(33)(T) . A continuous decrease in both parameters was observed as T 0 K with limiting values of epsilon(T)(33) approximate to 25.4 +/- 0.1 and r(33)(T) approximate to 24 +/- 0.7 pm/V, respectively. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.