Synchrotron X-ray topographic study of defects in high quality, flux grown ktiopo, single crystals

Defects structures in large, high quality flux-grown KTP single crystals have been studied by using synchrotron white beam X-ray topography. Growth dislocations, inclusions, growth sector boundaries, growth bands and surface micro-scratches were imaged. A number of planar defects in the dislocation-free region are imaged and determined to be inversion twin lamellae (lamellar ferroelectric domains) which have never been previously reported in KTP crystals. These inversion twin lamellae were also studied by section topography. Detailed analysis of observed contrast revealed that the domain walls bounding the lamellae are faulted with a fault vector of 1/2[0±1±1]. This fault vector seems to be consistent with the atomic structure of KTP. A detailed analysis is presented and discussed.