A microscopic insight on light-induced polaron conduction in Fe:LiNbO3

Lithium niobate (LN) is a key material in electronic and photonic technology and, besides this, can be considered as a prototype system among polar oxides characterized by a strong spontaneous polarization and pronounced couplings between the different thermodynamic fields that describe its macroscopic state. In particular the illumination of LN containing some Fe impurities triggers the onset of a bulk charge current and a strong increase in the material conductivity.