Polar Domains in Lead Titanate Films under Tensile Strain

Journal Article · Fri Mar 31 00:00:00 EST 2006 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.127602· OSTI ID:20777127

Catalan, G; Rispens, G; Csiszar, S; Noheda, B ^[1]; Janssens, A; Rijnders, G; Blank, D H.A. ^[2]; Seeck, O ^[3]

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1. Materials Science Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747AG (Netherlands)
2. MESA Institute for Nanotechnology, Twente University, Enschede 7500AE (Netherlands)
3. HASYLAB- DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22603 Hamburg (Germany)

Thin films of PbTiO{sub 3}, a classical ferroelectric, have been grown under tensile strain on single-crystal substrates of DyScO{sub 3}. The films, of only 5 nm thickness, grow fully coherent with the substrate, as evidenced by synchrotron x-ray diffraction. A mapping of the reciprocal space reveals intensity modulations (satellites) due to regularly spaced polar domains in which the polarization appears rotated away from the substrate normal, characterizing a low-symmetry phase not observed in the bulk material. This could have important practical implications since these phases are known to be responsible for ultrahigh piezoelectric responses in complex systems.

• OSTI ID: 20777127
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.127602; (c) 2006 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DYSPROSIUM COMPOUNDS
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
MAPPING
MODULATION
MONOCRYSTALS
PIEZOELECTRICITY
POLARIZATION
SCANDIUM OXIDES
STRAINS
SUBSTRATES
SYMMETRY
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS
TITANATES
X-RAY DIFFRACTION