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arXiv · 1104.5050

Watching Domains Grow: In-situ studies of polarization switching by combined Scanning Probe and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Hyejung Chang·Sergei V. Kalinin·Seungyeul Yang·Pu Yu·Saswata Bhattacharya·Ping P. Wu·Nina Balke·Stephen Jesse·Long Q. Chen·Ramamoorthy Ramesh·Stephen J. Pennycook·Albina Y. Borisevich
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Abstract

Ferroelectric domain nucleation and growth in multiferroic BiFeO3 films is observed directly by applying a local electric field with a conductive tip inside a scanning transmission electron microscope. The nucleation and growth of a ferroelastic domain and its interaction with pre-existing 71^{\circ} domain walls are observed and compared with the results of phase-field modeling. In particular, a preferential nucleation site and direction-dependent pinning of domain walls is observed due to slow kinetics of metastable switching in the sample without a bottom electrode. These in-situ spatially-resolved observations of a first-order bias-induced phase transition reveal the mesoscopic mechanisms underpinning functionality of a wide range of multiferroic materials.

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Hyejung Chang, Sergei V. Kalinin, Seungyeul Yang, Pu Yu, Saswata Bhattacharya, Ping P. Wu, Nina Balke, Stephen Jesse, Long Q. Chen, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Stephen J. Pennycook, Albina Y. Borisevich. 2011-04-26. Watching Domains Grow: In-situ studies of polarization switching by combined Scanning Probe and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3623779

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