Exploring Topological Defects in Epitaxial BiFeO3 Thin Films

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · ACS Nano

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/nn102099z· OSTI ID:1005204

Vasudevan, Rama K ^[1]; Chen, Yi-Chun ^[2]; Tai, Hsiang-Hua ^[2]; Balke, Nina ^[1]; Wu, Pingping ^[3]; Bhattacharya, Saswata ^[4]; Chen, Long-Qing ^[3]; Chu, Ying-Hao ^[5]; Lin, I-Nan ^[6]; Kalinin, Sergei V ^[1]; Nagarajan, Valanoor ^[7]

---

1. ORNL
2. National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
3. Pennsylvania State University
4. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
5. National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
6. Tamkang University (TKU), Tamsui, Taiwan
7. University of New South Wales

Using a combination of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and phase-field modeling, we demonstrate ubiquitous formation of center-type and possible ferroelectric closure domain arrangements during polarization switching near the ferroelastic domain walls in (100) oriented rhombohedral BiFeO{sub 3}. The formation of these topological defects is determined from the vertical and lateral PFM data and confirmed from the reversible changes in surface topography. These observations provide insight into the mechanisms of tip-induced ferroelastic domain control and suggest that formation of topological defect states under the action of local defect- and tip-induced fields is much more common than previously believed.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1005204
• Journal Information: ACS Nano, Vol. 5, Issue 2; ISSN 1936--0851
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BISMUTH OXIDES
IRON OXIDES
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
DEFECTS
POLARIZATION
THIN FILMS
TOPOGRAPHY
MICROSCOPY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS