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arXiv · 1906.03600

Elastic anomalies associated with domain switching in BaTiO$_3$ single crystals under in-situ electrical cycling

Abstract

The elastic response of BaTiO$_3$ single crystals during electric field cycling at room temperature has been studied using in-situ Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy (RUS), which allows monitoring of both the elastic and anelastic changes caused by ferroelectric polarization switching. We find that the first ferroelectric switching of a virgin single crystal is dominated by ferroelastic 90° switching. In subsequent ferroelectric switching, ferroelastic switching is reduced by domain pinning and by the predominance of 180° ferroelectric domains, as confirmed by polarized light microscopy. RUS under in-situ electric field therefore demonstrates to be an effective technique for the investigation of electromechanical coupling in ferroelectrics.

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D. Pesquera, B. Casals, J. E. Thompson, G. F. Nataf, X. Moya, M. A. Carpenter. 2019-06-09. Elastic anomalies associated with domain switching in BaTiO$_3$ single crystals under in-situ electrical cycling. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5088749

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