X-ray diffraction study of KTP (KTiOPO₄) crystals under a static electric field

X-ray diffraction studies are made on ion-conducting potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) crystals with in situ DC electric field along different crystallographic directions. The X-ray rocking curves recorded with an electric field along the polar b axis (which is the direction of ion conduction) show a strong enhancement of the 040 reflection intensity (reflecting planes normal to the b axis) whereas the h0l reflections (reflecting planes parallel to the polar axis) do not show any intensity change. For an electric field normal to the polar axis no intensity change, either in 040 or in h0l reflections, occurs. This observation is supplemented by X-ray topography. The 040 X-ray topographs recorded with in situ electric field along b exhibit strong extinction contrast in the form of striations parallel to the polar (ion-conduction) axis. The 040 intensity increase and the striation contrast are attributed to lattice deformation by the space-charge polarization due to the movement of the K⁺ ions under the influence of the electric field.