Potts-Ising model for simulation of polarization switching in polycrystalline ferroelectrics

This paper proposes a scheme based on the Potts and Ising models forsimulating polarization switching of polycrystalline ferroelectrics using the Monte Carlo method. The polycrystalline texture withdifferent average grain size is produced from the Potts model. ThenIsing model is implemented in the polycrystalline texture to producethe domain pattern and hysteresis loop. The domain patterns andhysteresis loops have been obtained for polycrystalline texture withdifferent average grain size. From the results of domain patternevolution process under an applied electric field using this scheme,an extended domain, which covers more than one grain withpolarization aligned roughly in the same direction, has beenobserved during the polarization reversal. This scheme can wellreproduce the basic properties of polycrystalline ferroelectrics andis a valuable tool for exploring the physical properties ofpolycrystalline ferroelectrics.