Large quasi‐linear electro‐optical response of BaZr0.75Hf0.25O3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial BaZr0.75Hf0.25O3 (BZH) thin films were grown successfully on MgO (100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The FWHM of the rocking curve of the BZH thin film deposited at 650 °C is about 0.6°, and the pole-figure shows that the BZH thin film has fourfold symmetry with 0.5–1.1° FWHM in the ϕ-scanning. A large quasi-linear electro-optic effect was observed under an external electric field in a transverse geometry at 633 nm. The electric-optic coefficient Rc and birefringence shift are found to be 9.145 × 10–11 m/V and 4 × 10–3 at 10 kV/mm, respectively. The microstructure of the films and its relation to the observed electric-optic properties is discussed. It is expected that BZH thin films will have various electric-optic and microwave applications. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)