Synthesis of BaTiO3 Thin Films for Electro-Optic Applications

BaTiO3 thin films present exciting opportunities for use in photonics. In addition to their high electro-optic coefficient, BaTiO3 has a high refractive index (~ 2.4) and wide bandgap (> 3 eV). We can integrate these films onto silicon based substrates to make integrated optical devices. Using reactive-oxide molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), we synthesize high quality thin films of BaTiO3 on a number of oxide substrates. We explore the role of thin film deposition conditions and strain on the electro-optic properties. We also pursue the transfer of BaTiO3 to silicon substrates. We propose that this could be a potentially straightforward, scalable, and efficient method for the nanofabrication of BaTiO3 thin films for integration into optical devices.