Transfer of Photovoltaic Surface Charge Patterns to Passive Dielectric Substrates via Direct Contact with LiNbO3:Fe Ferroelectric Stamps

Quite recently, a novel phenomenon consisting in a light-induced charge transfer between a photovoltaic (PV) ferroelectric crystal and micro/nanoparticles (metallic or dielectric) in contact with its surface has been reported. In this work, we take this new mechanism one step further and explore the feasibility of transferring PV surface charge patterns to passive dielectric substrates. We show that, indeed, PV charge mosaics may be transferred and stored at the surface of dielectric materials, e.g. glass or quartz. The method is straightforward: it only requires contact between the active PV substrate (typically LiNbO
3
: Fe) and the passive dielectric substrate in order for the charge pattern to be partially transferred, similar to a regular stamp. Upon separation, a close replica of the original PV charge distribution remains at the surface of the passive substrate. To probe the spatial faithfulness of the charge transfer, nanoparticle patterns have been successfully assembled via dielectrophoretic electrostatic forces.