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Polarization Switching Dynamics Governed by Thermodynamic Nucleation Process in Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films

J. Y. Jo·D. J. Kim·Y. S. Kim·S. -B. Choe·T. K. Song·J. -G. Yoon·T. W. Noh
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Abstract

A long standing problem of domain switching process - how domains nucleate - is examined in ultrathin ferroelectric films. We demonstrate that the large depolarization fields in ultrathin films could significantly lower the nucleation energy barrier (U*) to a level comparable to thermal energy (kBT), resulting in power-law like polarization decay behaviors. The "Landauer's paradox": U* is thermally insurmountable is not a critical issue in the polarization switching of ultrathin ferroelectric films. We empirically find a universal relation between the polarization decay behavior and U*/kBT.

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J. Y. Jo, D. J. Kim, Y. S. Kim, S. -B. Choe, T. K. Song, J. -G. Yoon, T. W. Noh. 2006-05-03. Polarization Switching Dynamics Governed by Thermodynamic Nucleation Process in Ultrathin Ferroelectric Films. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.97.247602

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