Domain switching kinetics in disordered ferroelectric thin films

We investigated domain kinetics by measuring the polarization switching behaviors of (111)-preferred polycrystalline Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films, which are widely used in ferroelectric memories. Their switching behaviors at various electric fields and temperatures could be explained by assuming the Lorentzian distribution of logarithmic domain-switching times. We suggested that the local field variation due to dipole defects at domain pinning sites could explain the Lorentzian distribution.     

复合外场中磁光材料(BiTm)3(FeGa)5O12薄膜畴壁运动特性的研究

通过对BiTm)₃(FeGa)₅O₁₂膜施工加低频交变磁场,匀速率增加的直流磁场和同时对该膜施加这两种磁场(复合外场),用照相划线读数方法和通过电荷耦合器件(CCD)-计算机作数字化处理获得磁畴壁(DW)的相对百分数。结果表明:(1)复合外场下DW运动规律中存在交互作用项;(2)低频交变磁场幅值(140A/m)远低于等效阻力场(10³A/m)时,DW可以运动,但不同步,频率大于1Hz时明显滞后,(3)利用图像转换有利于提高实验结果的分辨率。     

Higher order ferroic switching induced by scanning force microscopy.

We present the observation of ferroelastoelectric switching in a ferroelectric material. It is achieved in barium titanate thin film by simultaneously applying electric field and compressive stress with the tip of a scanning force microscope. For low compressive stresses, the presented measurements reveal classical ferroelectric domain reversal, i.e., the spontaneous polarization is aligned parallel to the applied electric field. However, for high compressive stresses the direction of polarization after switching is antiparallel to the poling field, demonstrating ferroelastoelectric switching.     

Distinct ferroelectric domain switching dynamics in epitaxial BiFeO3 (001) capacitors depending on the bias polarity

Understanding ferroelectric domain switching dynamics at the nanoscale is a great of importance in the viewpoints of fundamental physics and technological applications. Here, we investigated the intriguing polarity-dependent switching dynamics of ferroelectric domains in epitaxial BiFeO₃ (001) capacitors using transient switching current measurement and piezoresponse force microscopy. We observed the distinct behavior of nucleation and domain wall motion depending on the polarity of external electric bias. When applying the negative bias to the top electrode, the sideways domain wall motion initiated by only few nuclei was dominant to polarization switching. However, when applying the positive bias, most of domains started to grow from the pre-existed pinned domains and their growth velocity was much smaller. We suggest that the observed two distinct domain switching behavior is ascribed to the interfacial defect layer.     

Anisotropic polarization response of polar nanostructures in relaxor-type lead lanthanum zirconate titanate ferroelectric ceramics

Polar nanoregions (PNRs) in relaxor-type PLZT ferroelectric ceramics and their response to the out-of-plane, in-plane electric fields were investigated by the high-resolution piezoresponse force microscopy. Anisotropic polarization switching kinetic behaviors of PNRs were found in relaxor PLZT ceramics. Normal, stable ferroelectric domain states were formed through the coalescence of PNRs in the out-of-plane field, while in the high in-plane electric field, the polarization dynamic behaviors of PNRs show spatial inhomogeneity due to the anisotropy random fields in the ferroelectric PLZT ceramics.     

Directed motion of domain walls in biaxial ferromagnets under the influence of periodic external magnetic fields

Directed motion of domain walls (DWs) in a classical biaxial ferromagnet placed under the influence of periodic unbiased external magnetic fields is investigated. Using the symmetry approach developed in this article the necessary conditions for the directed DW motion are found. This motion turns out to be possible if the magnetic field is applied along the easiest axis. The symmetry approach prohibits the directed DW motion if the magnetic field is applied along any of the hard axes. With the help of the soliton perturbation theory and numerical simulations, the average DW velocity as a function of different system parameters such as damping constant, amplitude, and frequency of the external field, is computed.     

原位Raman光谱技术应用于铁电陶瓷畴变与电疲劳研究

基于铁电陶瓷材料90°畴变导致Raman光谱变化的原理,自行设计并搭建了铁电材料原位测试分析和数据采集系统,通过与Raman光谱仪的联用,利用特制的样品旋转装置,从实验上证实在外加电场作用下铁电材料中的90°畴变使平均电畴的择优取向发生改变,从而导致Raman光谱强度的变化,利用铁电材料原位测试分析和数据采集系统,实现...     

Symmetry theory of the flexomagnetoelectric effect in the magnetic domain walls

A local flexomagnetoelectric (A.P. Pyatakov, A.K. Zvezdin, 2009) effect in the magnetic domain walls (DWs) of the cubic hexoctahedral crystal has been investigated on the basis of a symmetry analysis. The strong connection between magnetic symmetry of the DW and the type of the distribution of the electric polarization was shown. Results were systemized in the scope of the DW chirality. It was shown, that new type of the local flexomagnetoelectric coupling corresponds to the presence of the coupled electric charge in the DW. It was found that all time-noninvariant chiral DWs have identical type of spatial distribution of the magnetization and polarization. There are coincidence between the symmetry predictions and results obtaining from the known term of the flexomagnetoelectric coupling for transverse polarization components.     

Domain wall thickness variations of ferroelectric BaMgF4 single crystals in the tip fields of an atomic force microscope

The ferroelectric domain wall thickness of a fluoride BaMgF₄ single crystal was investigated by piezoresponse force microscopy. It was found that the domain wall thickness shows a strong spatial variation in the as‐grown crystal and the polarization reversal process. The original wall thickness is greater (about two to seven times) than that switched by the tip fields of the atomic force microscope. A significantly narrower domain wall was obtained in the higher tip‐field. The trapped defects at the domain wall play an important role in the spatial variation of the polarization width of 180° domain wall in the BaMgF₄ single crystal. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Switching current noise and relaxation of ferroelectric domains

We simulate field-induced nucleation and switching of domains in a three-dimensional model of ferroelectrics with quenched disorder and varying domain sizes. We study (1) bursts of the switching current at slow driving along the hysteresis loop (electrical Barkhausen noise) and (2) the polarization reversal when a strong electric field was applied and back-switching after the field was removed. We show how these processes are related to the underlying structure of domain walls, which in turn is controlled by the pinning at quenched local electric fields. When the depolarization fields of bound charges are properly screened we find that the fractal switching current noise may appear with two distinct universal behaviors. The critical depinning of plane domain walls determines the universality class in the case of weak random fields, whereas for large randomness the massive nucleation of domains in the bulk leads to different scaling properties. In both cases the scaling exponents decay logarithmically when the driving frequency is increased. The polarization reverses in the applied field as a power-law, while its relaxation in zero field is a stretch exponential function of time. The stretching exponent depends on the strength of pinning. The results may be applicable for uniaxial relaxor ferroelectrics, such as doped SBN:Ce. Received 7 February 2002 / Received in final form 10 April 2002 Published online 9 July 2002     

Dynamic propagation and nucleation in domain wall nanowire devices

The dynamic injection and propagation of domain walls (DWs) in technologically relevant geometries have been investigated. On short (~10 ns) timescales nucleation of a DW by a localized Oersted field is found to be well described using a Néel-Brown reversal mode. Using locally injected DWs, we test the propagation of DWs over long distances (~100 μm) in close proximity nanowires and beyond the Walker breakdown limit. In nanowires that act as true conduits to a DW, data can be successfully propagated without loss or inter-wire cross-talk. This is in contrast to poorly characterized systems where the DW is found to propagate asynchronously above the critical breakdown field.     

Characterization of PPLN-microstructures by means of Raman spectroscopy

In this paper we show how the Raman microprobe can be used for characterization of the domain structure in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). The Raman scattered intensity of the transverse and longitudinal optical phonons was recorded across the stripe ferroelectric domains at the surface of a z-cut congruent PPLN sample. The change of integrated intensities across the domain structure was attributed to the influence of mechanical stresses and partially screened depolarization fields. PACS 77.80.Dj; 78.30.-j; 77.84.Dy     

Cyclic resistance change in perpendicularly magnetized Co/Ni nanowire induced by alternating current pulse injection

We report on cyclic anisotropic magnetoresistance change induced by current pulse injection in perpendicularly magnetized Co/Ni nanowire. By alternating the polarity of the injection pulse, domain walls (DWs) can be deterministically created and annihilated within the nanowire. The injection induces a combined effect of spin transfer torque and Oersted field that leads to simultaneous creation and driving of DWs in the nanowire. DW created by single pulse injection exhibits a fixed depinning field. For multi-pulse injection, the depinning field increases and this is ascribed to the formation of DWs with opposite chirality.     

Nanosecond domain wall dynamics in ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O(3) thin films

Domain wall motion during polarization switching in ferroelectric thin films is fundamentally important and poses challenges for both experiments and modeling. We have visualized the switching of a Pb(Zr, Ti)O(3) capacitor using time-resolved x-ray microdiffraction. The structural signatures of switching include a reversal in the sign of the piezoelectric coefficient and a change in the intensity of x-ray reflections. The propagation of polarization domain walls is highly reproducible from cycle to cycle of the electric field. Domain wall velocities of 40 m s(-1) are consistent with the results of other methods, but are far less than saturation values expected at high electric fields.     

Controlled and reproducible domain wall displacement by current pulses injected into ferromagnetic ring structures

In a combined numerical and experimental study, we demonstrate that current pulses of different polarity can reversibly and controllably displace a magnetic domain wall (DW) in submicrometer permalloy (NiFe) ring structures. The critical current densities for DW displacement are correlated with the specific spin structure of the DWs and are compared to results of micromagnetic simulations including a spin-torque term. Using a notch, an attractive local pinning potential is created for the DW resulting in a highly reproducible spin structure of the DW, critical for reliable current-induced switching.     

Real-time direct observations of polarization reversal in a piezoelectric crystal: Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 studied via in situ electrical biasing transmission electron microscopy

The ultrahigh piezoelectricity of lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) single crystals is utilized for medical imaging and ultrasonic devices. It has been revealed that the domain structure is miniaturized down to the nanometer scale, indicating that the domain structure and its response to electric fields could play more roles. In this Letter, we report real-time direct observations of polarization reversals in PMN-PT with the use of in situ electrical biasing transmission electron microscopy. We find that a dominant behavior is a reversible response composed of the reorientation of nanoscale non-180° domain walls (DWs) and movement and/or elimination of microscale DWs. These results basically agree with some predictions made by adaptive phase theory (Jin et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 94, 3629 (2003)]) which gives explanations of extrinsic contributions to the high piezoelectricity of this material.     

Electrical modulation of excitonic transition in monolayer tungsten disulfide on periodically poled ferroelectric substrates

Although the spectral investigation of monolayer two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide (1L-TMD) has been extensively performed for identifying modulation of excitonic transition, study of excitonic transition in ferroelectric/TMD hybrid structure is essential to understand and design high speed and low loss devices based on in-plane junctions. Here, we demonstrate electrical modulation of excitonic transition by transferring 1L-tungsten disulfide (WS₂) onto a ferroelectric domain surface, a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN). We observe that exciton (A₀) and trion (A⁻) emissions of 1L-WS₂ are spatially modulated depending on the sign of the phase domain, such that A₀ and A⁻ emission is stronger at the positive (D⁺) and negative (D⁻) domain, respectively. In addition, different trends of excitonic transition of 1L-WS₂ between D⁺ and D⁻ domain are demonstrated by applying a back-gate bias voltage. The spatial modulation of electrical and optical characteristics of 1L-TMDs will help to design the homo- or hetero p-n junctions based on TMDs.     

Electro-optic spectral tuning in a continuous-wave, asymmetric-duty-cycle, periodically poled LiNbO(3) optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate electro-optic spectral tuning in a continuous-wave periodically poled LiNbO(3) (PPLN) optical parametric oscillator (OPO). We achieve 8.91 cm(-1) of rapid spectral tuning, with a linear tuning rate of 2.89 cm(-1) /(kV/mm), by applying electric fields up to +/-1.5 kV/mm across the crystal while it is operating within the OPO. Intentionally poling the PPLN crystal with an asymmetric domain structure enables tuning, and numerical predictions closely match the experimental observations. The tuning is considerably larger than the typical operational bandwidth of the OPO, indicating that we are in fact shifting the gain curve of the PPLN crystal.     

Domain wall motion in perpendicular anisotropy nanowires with edge roughness

We study field-driven domain wall (DW) motion in nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy using finite element micromagnetic simulations. Edge roughness is introduced by deforming the finite element mesh, and we vary the correlation length and magnitude of the roughness deformation separately. We observe the Walker breakdown both with and without roughness, with steady DW motion for applied fields below the critical Walker field H(c), and oscillatory motion for larger fields. The value of H(c) is not altered in the presence of roughness. The edge roughness introduces a depinning field. During the transient process of depinning, from the initial configuration to steady DW motion, the DW velocity is significantly reduced in comparison to that for a wire without roughness. The asymptotic DW velocity, on the other hand, is virtually unaffected by the roughness, even though the magnetization reacts to the edge distortions during the entire course of motion, both above and below the Walker breakdown. A moving DW can become pinned again at some later point ('dynamic pinning'). Dynamic pinning is a stochastic process and is observed both for small fields below H(c) and for fields of any strength above H(c). In the latter case, where the DW shows oscillatory motion and the magnetization in the DW rotates in the film plane, pinning can only occur at positions where the DW reverses direction and the instantaneous velocity is zero, i.e., at the beginning or in the middle of a positional oscillation cycle. In our simulations pinning was only observed at the beginnings of cycles, where the magnetization is pointing along the wire. The depinning field depends linearly on the magnitude of the edge roughness. The strongest pinning fields are observed for roughness correlation lengths that match the domain wall width.     

Analysis of polarization switching in ferroelectric crystals in the injection mode

We report on the results of experiments on polarization switching in a ferroelectric TGS crystal during injection of electron beams from a scanning electron microscope under a surface layer. A series of models reflecting the polarization switching dynamics of a ferroelectric crystal under the action of an injected charge is constructed. The implementation of these models is based on the principles of evolution of domain structures taking into account analysis of possible polarization switching mechanisms for ferroelectric samples. A mathematical model developed using these principles demonstrates qualitative similarity of model current pulses and those obtained experimentally in the injection mode.