The Pb(ZrTi)O-3 [PZT] films with a preferred orientation generally have columnar texture. Because the properties of a PZT film are strongly dependent on its crystallographic direction, the electrooptic properties along the longitudinal and transverse direction are expected to be anisotropic. In this study, highly (100) oriented PZT films were grown on glass and ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) coated glass substrates using the sol-gel multi-coating method with lanthanum nitrate and lanthanum nickel nitrate as buffer layers. The longitudinal and tr-ansverse electrooptic properties of the textured films were characterized by transmission-mode measuring equipment with a Senarmont compensator using a sample tilting method. The calculated longitudinal and transverse electrooptic coefficients of the highly (100) oriented PZT films were 147 and 250 pm/V, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.