An automated nondestructive characterization system for pyroelectric materials

An automated system for the pyroelectric imaging of polar substrates has been developed. The principle of operation, details of the optical and mechanical subsystems, and a description of the system hardware, interface, and software for data acquisition and display are given. The automation has made possible routine scans of high resolution and/or large areas of pyroelectric materials, such as LiNbO/sub 3/ and ZnO. Features of the system are highlighted by means of a pyroelectric imaging of proton-exchanged LiNbO/sub 3/, which is an important material for optical waveguides.<
>