Large photo-induced voltage in a ferroelectric thin film with in-plane polarization

A large photoinduced voltage of 7 V was obtained with an in-plane poled ferroelectric thin film having a composition of WO3 modified Pb0.97La0.03(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 (PLWZT), under ultraviolet (UV) illumination for about 80 s. By poling the ferroelectric film along the surface plane through pairs of interdigital electrodes, the interelectrode distance constraint on the voltage magnitude arising from the small film thickness was broken. Our experimental results showed that both the direction and magnitude of the photovoltaic output could be tuned with the poling electric field. The dependence of the photoinduced voltage on light wavelength, light intensity, and the gap of the interdigital electrode were investigated. The advantages of the photovoltaic configuration on the basis of an in-plane poled ferroelectric thin film were analyzed. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.