Real space mapping of polarization dynamics and hysteresis loop formation in relaxor-ferroelectric PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 PbTiO3 solid solutions

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

OSTI ID:1082021

Rodriguez, Brian ^[1]; Jesse, Stephen ^[2]; Morozovska, A. N. ^[3]; Svechnikov, S. V. ^[3]; Kiselev, Dmitri ^[4]

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1. University College, Dublin
2. ORNL
3. National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
4. University of Aveiro, Portugal

Polarization switching in ergodic relaxor and ferroelectric phases in the PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) system is studied using piezoresponse force microscopy, single point electromechanical relaxation measurements, and voltage spectroscopy mapping. The dependence of relaxation behavior on voltage pulse amplitude and time is found to follow a universal logarithmic behavior with a nearly constant slope. This behavior is indicative of the progressive population of slow relaxation states, as opposed to a linear relaxation in the presence of a broad relaxation time distribution. The role of relaxation behavior, ferroelectric nonlinearity, and the spatial inhomogeneity of the tip field on hysteresis loop behavior is analyzed in detail. The hysteresis loops for ergodic PMN-10%PT are shown to be kinetically limited, while in PMN with larger PT content, true ferroelectric hysteresis loops with low nucleation biases are observed.

• 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: 1082021
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 108, Issue 4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English