Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics

Douglas, A. M.; Kumar, A.; Gregg, J. M.; Whatmore, R. W.

doi:10.1063/1.4934833

Title: Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics

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Abstract

Conducting atomic force microscopy images of bulk semiconducting BaTiO{sub 3} surfaces show clear stripe domain contrast. High local conductance correlates with strong out-of-plane polarization (mapped independently using piezoresponse force microscopy), and current-voltage characteristics are consistent with dipole-induced alterations in Schottky barriers at the metallic tip-ferroelectric interface. Indeed, analyzing current-voltage data in terms of established Schottky barrier models allows relative variations in the surface polarization, and hence the local domain structure, to be determined. Fitting also reveals the signature of surface-related depolarizing fields concentrated near domain walls. Domain information obtained from mapping local conductance appears to be more surface-sensitive than that from piezoresponse force microscopy. In the right materials systems, local current mapping could therefore represent a useful complementary technique for evaluating polarization and local electric fields with nanoscale resolution.

Authors:

Douglas, A. M.; Kumar, A.; Gregg, J. M. ^[1]; Whatmore, R. W. ^[2]

Centre for Nanostructured Media, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom)
Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

Publication Date:: Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2015

OSTI Identifier:: 22485970

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Applied Physics Letters

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 107; Journal Issue: 17; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY; BARIUM COMPOUNDS; CURRENTS; DIPOLES; DOMAIN STRUCTURE; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRIC POTENTIAL; FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS; IMAGES; NANOSTRUCTURES; POLARIZATION; RESOLUTION; SURFACES; TITANATES; VARIATIONS

Citation Formats


                    Douglas, A. M., Kumar, A., Gregg, J. M., and Whatmore, R. W. Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics.  United States: N. p., 2015. 
        Web.  doi:10.1063/1.4934833.

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                    Douglas, A. M., Kumar, A., Gregg, J. M., & Whatmore, R. W. Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4934833

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                    Douglas, A. M., Kumar, A., Gregg, J. M., and Whatmore, R. W. 2015.  
        "Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4934833.

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@article{osti_22485970,

  title        = {Local conductance: A means to extract polarization and depolarizing fields near domain walls in ferroelectrics},

  author       = {Douglas, A. M. and Kumar, A. and Gregg, J. M. and Whatmore, R. W.},

  abstractNote = {Conducting atomic force microscopy images of bulk semiconducting BaTiO{sub 3} surfaces show clear stripe domain contrast. High local conductance correlates with strong out-of-plane polarization (mapped independently using piezoresponse force microscopy), and current-voltage characteristics are consistent with dipole-induced alterations in Schottky barriers at the metallic tip-ferroelectric interface. Indeed, analyzing current-voltage data in terms of established Schottky barrier models allows relative variations in the surface polarization, and hence the local domain structure, to be determined. Fitting also reveals the signature of surface-related depolarizing fields concentrated near domain walls. Domain information obtained from mapping local conductance appears to be more surface-sensitive than that from piezoresponse force microscopy. In the right materials systems, local current mapping could therefore represent a useful complementary technique for evaluating polarization and local electric fields with nanoscale resolution.},

  doi          = {10.1063/1.4934833},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22485970},
  journal      = {Applied Physics Letters},

  issn         = {0003-6951},

  number       = 17,

  volume       = 107,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2015},

  month        = {Mon Oct 26 00:00:00 EDT 2015}

}

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