Unraveling Deterministic Mesoscopic Polarization Switching Mechanisms: Spatially Resolved Studies of a Tilt Grain Boundary in Bismuth Ferrite

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Advanced Functional Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.200900100· OSTI ID:1082017

Rodriguez, Brian ^[1]; Choudhury, S ^[2]; Chu, Y. -H. ^[3]; Bhattacharyya, Abishek ^[4]; Jesse, Stephen ^[5]; Seal, Katyayani ^[5]; Baddorf, Arthur P ^[5]; Ramesh, R. ^[6]; Chen, L. Q. ^[2]; Kalinin, Sergei ^[7]

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1. University College, Dublin
2. Pennsylvania State University
3. National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
4. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
5. ORNL
6. University of California, Berkeley
7. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

The deterministic mesoscopic mechanism of ferroelectric domain nucleation is probed at a single atomically-defined model defect: an artificially fabricated bicrystal grain boundary (GB) in an epitaxial bismuth ferrite film. Switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SS-PFM) is used to map the variation of local hysteresis loops at the GB and in its immediate vicinity. It is found that the the influence of the GB on nucleation results in a slight shift of the negative nucleation bias to larger voltages. The mesoscopic mechanisms of domain nucleation in the bulk and at the GB are studied in detail using phase-field modeling, elucidating the complex mechanisms governed by the interplay between ferroelectric and ferroelastic wall energies, depolarization fields, and interface charge. The combination of phase-field modeling and SS-PFM allows quantitative analysis of the mesoscopic mechanisms for polarization switching, and hence suggests a route for unraveling the mechanisms of polarization switching at a single defect level and ultimately optimizing materials properties through microstructure engineering.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1082017
• Journal Information: Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 19, Issue 13; ISSN 1616-301X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English