Sputtering preparation of ferroelectric PLZT thin films and their optical applications

Preparation of epitaxial PLZT thin films on sapphire has been investigated, and excellent ferroelectric properties such as piezoelectricity and electrooptic effect with high transparency were obtained in thin films. Moreover, a preparation process was developed involving the multitarget sputtering method, and strict control of film composition and epitaxial growth with the buffer layer of graded composition were performed. Using these PLZT thin films, some optical applications, including an acoustooptic deflector and an electrooptic guided-light switch, are shown.