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Title: Above-Band Gap Photoinduced Stabilization of Engineered Ferroelectric Domains

Journal Article · · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

The effect of above-band gap photons on the domains of the BiFeO3 (BFO) thin film was investigated via piezoresponse force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy. It is found that under above-band gap illumination, the relaxation time of the polarization state was significantly extended, while the effective polarizing voltage for the pristine domains was reduced. We propose that this photoinduced domain stabilization can be attributed to the interaction between photogenerated surface charges and domains. Importantly, a similar phenomenon is observed in other ferroelectric (FE) materials with an internal electric field once they are illuminated by above-band gap light, indicating that this photoinduced stabilization is potentially universal rather than specific to BFO. Furthermore, this study will not only contribute to the knowledge of photovoltaic (PV) phenomena but also provide a new route to promote the stability of PV and FE materials.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Australian Research Council; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1466402
Journal Information:
ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 15 Vol. 10; ISSN 1944-8244
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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