title: Ultra-smooth lithium niobate photonic micro-structures by surface tension reshaping.
abstract: Annealing of micro-structured lithium niobate substrates at temperatures close to, but below the melting point, allows surface tension to reshape preferentially melted surface zones of the crystal. The reshaped surface re-crystallizes upon cooling to form a single crystal again as it is seeded by the bulk which remains solid throughout the process. This procedure yields ultra-smooth single crystal superstructures suitable for the fabrication of photonic micro-components with low scattering loss.
authors.affiliation: Optoelectronics Research Centre, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, S017 1BJ, UK. yoy@orc.soton.ac.uk
authors.forename: Charlie Y J
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Collin L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sones
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soergel
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Eason
authors.forename: Mikhail N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Zervas
authors.forename: Sakellaris
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mailis
mesh_terms: D006244:Hardness; D008422:Materials Testing; D008904:Miniaturization; D009556:Niobium; D010087:Oxides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D017785:Photons; D012031:Refractometry; D013500:Surface Tension
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D009556:Niobium; C091692:lithium niobate