Humidity effects on tip-induced polarization switching in lithium niobate

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4867979· OSTI ID:1122695

Ievlev, Anton ^[1]; Morozovska, A. N. ^[2]; Shur, Vladimir Ya. ^[3]; Kalinin, Sergei V ^[1]

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1. ORNL
2. National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
3. Ural Federal University, Russia

In the last several decades, ferroelectrics have attracted much attention as perspective materials for nonlinear optics and data storage devices. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has emerged as a powerful tool both for studies of domain structures with nanoscale spatial resolution and for writing the isolated nanodomains by local application of the electric field. Quantitative analysis of the observed behavior requires understanding the role of environmental factors on imaging and switching process. Here we study the influence of the relative humidity in the SPM chamber on tip-induced polarization switching. The observed effects are attributed to existence of a water meniscus between the tip and the sample surface in humid atmosphere. These results are important for a deeper understanding of complex investigations of ferroelectric materials and their applications, and suggest the necessity for fundamental studies of electrocapillary phenomena at the tip-surface junction and their interplay with bias-induced materials responses.

• 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: 1122695
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 9; ISSN 0003--6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Ferroelectrics
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Lithium niobate
Humidity