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Impact of elasticity on the piezoresponse of adjacent ferroelectric domains investigated by scanning force microscopy

Tobias Jungk·Akos Hoffmann·Elisabeth Soergel
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Abstract

As a consequence of elasticity, mechanical deformations of crystals occur on a length scale comparable to their thickness. This is exemplified by applying a homogeneous electric field to a multi-domain ferroelectric crystal: as one domain is expanding the adjacent ones are contracting, leading to clamping at the domain boundaries. The piezomechanically driven surface corrugation of micron-sized domain patterns in thick crystals using large-area top electrodes is thus drastically suppressed, barely accessible by means of piezoresponse force microscopy.

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Tobias Jungk, Akos Hoffmann, Elisabeth Soergel. 2007-10-23. Impact of elasticity on the piezoresponse of adjacent ferroelectric domains investigated by scanning force microscopy. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2795680

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