Strain at junctions in multidomain configurations

This article deals with the determination of multidomain configurations in ferroics taking into account the elastic compatibility of the neighbouring domains. The proposed method is based on transformation matrices, which describe the spacial relationship of two crystal lattice bases for coherent domain pairs. The matrices are calculated using the symmetry operations between domains and lattice parameters. The principle point of this method is the comparison of the product of transformation matrices and the unity matrix. For example, by using this method it was shown that the junction of three and five orientation domains is strained whereas the encounter of four domains is strain free in three different ferroelastic perovskite phases. The derived allowed four-domain configurations are confirmed by experimental data.     

Stable spiral domains in ferrite-garnet films

Stable spiral domain structures—spiral domains stabilized by a bubble lattice and lattices of spiral domains—in epitaxial ferrite-garnet films have been experimentally investigated. The thermodynamic approach based on the concept of magnetostatic pressure is applied to explain the behavior of a spiral domain structure with a change in temperature or magnetic field. It is shown that phase transitions in spiral domains are related to phase transitions in the bubble lattice.     

Structure and interaction of antiferromagnetic domain walls in hexagonal YMnO3

The structure of antiferromagnetic (AFM) domain walls and their interaction with lattice strain are derived taking the multiple-order-parameter compound YMnO3 as a model example. Contrary to the conviction that AFM domain walls are energetically unfavorable, their interaction with lattice strain lowers the total energy of the system and leads to a piezomagnetic clamping of the electric and magnetic order parameters in good agreement with the available experimental data.     

Holographic diffraction gratings using polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystals

By controlling the morphology of holographic polymer-dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs), highly aligned FLC domains are obtained for diffractive optical applications. Rapid, thresholdless switching is observed for various grating pitch sizes between approximately 3 and approximately 12 microm. A simple phenomenological model is presented encompassing a distribution of domain sizes and an effective field that stabilizes the FLC domains to reflect the observed thresholdless switching and optical behavior.     

Shear at twin domain boundaries in YBa2Cu3O7-x

The microstructure and strain state of twin domains in YBa2Cu3O7-x are discussed based upon synchrotron white-beam x-ray microdiffraction measurements. Intensity variations of the fourfold twin splitting of Laue diffraction peaks are used to determine the twin domain structure. Strain analysis shows that interfaces between neighboring twin domains are strained in shear, whereas the interior of these domains are regions of low strain. These measurements are consistent with the orientation relationships of twin boundaries within and across domains and show that basal plane shear stresses can exceed 100 MPa where twin domains meet. Our results support stress field pinning of magnetic flux vortices by twin domain boundaries.     

Spatially resolved twin domain distribution and lattice parameter variations in the near-surface region of SrTiO<Subscript>3</Subscript> single crystals

We investigated the twin domain distribution and lattice parameter variations associated with the displacive phase transition in SrTiO₃ by means of X-ray diffraction with high spatial resolution. By using 4.5-keV photons, the probed region is the first micrometer near the surface. We find a very inhomogeneous domain distribution, showing both regions with large monodomains and highly twinned regions, as well as large needle domains. Also, the lattice parameters in these different regions vary substantially.     

Magnetization distribution in magneto-optical medium on patterned substrate

A micromagnetic calculation of magnetization in a ferromagnetic thin film with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy fabricated on a patterned substrate is carried out. The domain wall energy of pinning of domain walls between up and down magnetized domains is shown to be determined by geometry of substrate. Estimations of regions of stability of two different domain structures in the hexagonal lattice of circle patches are given.     

Domain-Wall Dynamics After Photoexcitations Near neutral-Ionic Phase Transitions

Real-time dynamics of domain walls between the neutral and ionic phases just after photoexcitations is studied by fully solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation for a one-dimensional extended Peierls-Hubbard (PH) model, not by relying on the adiabatic approximation. The unrestricted Hartree-Fock (HF) approximation is used for electrons, and the lattice displacements are treated classically. Three characteristic time scales are observed: rapid oscillation of ionicity owing to the local charge transfer; slow oscillation of lattice displacements; and even slower and collective motion of domain walls. Steady growth of a metastable domain is achieved after complicated competition of micro domains. The relevance to recently measured, time-resolved photoreflectance spectra in TTF-CA is discussed.     

Direct observation of strain-induced change in surface electronic structure

We have observed a novel modification of a surface state due to a local strain field induced by a nanopattern formation. N adsorption on the Cu(100) surface induces a nanoscale grid pattern, where the clean Cu regions remain periodically. The lattice is contracted on the clean region by adjacent c(2 x 2)N domains, which have a larger lattice constant. On this patterned surface, we have investigated the Tamm-type surface state at M by means of angle-resolved ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The binding energy of the Tamm state shifts toward the Fermi level continuously with increasing N coverage, i.e., the intensity of the strain field. This behavior due to the strain field is completely different from that caused by electron confinement observed on vicinal surfaces. The Brillouin zone extension corresponding to the lattice contraction was also detected.     

Continuum percolation conductivity exponents in restricted domains

Conductivity behavior of continuum percolation in restricted two-dimensional domains is simulated by considering systems of randomly distributed disks. The domain is restricted in that conducting objects are permitted to lie in only a portion of the domain. Such a restricted domain might better approximate some natural systems. Simulations of two-dimensional systems, based on three distributions of local conductances, are examined and found to demonstrate a power-law behavior with conductivity exponents smaller than those arising in regular lattice and continuum percolation     

Formation of the ferroelectric domains in epitaxial PbTiO3 thin films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

3 thin films have been prepared by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition under reduced pressure. The formation of ferroelectric domains in films grown on SrTiO₃ and LaAlO₃ substrates was investigated by synchrotron radiation and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. Single-domain (3000-Å thick) and multi-domain (4500-Å thick) PbTiO₃ films were produced on SrTiO₃. For multi-domain PbTiO₃ film, the c-domain presented epitaxial structure with its c-axis perpendicular to the substrate surface, while a-domains aligned four-fold symmetrically with c-domains by 2.79^° off the c-axis of c-domains. In the film, the measured lattice constants (a, b and c) of the a- and c-domains were different from each other, indicating that the films suffered a modulated strain during domain formation. In contrast, both the a and c domains of films on LaAlO₃ were alternatively aligned on substrate with the a-axis of the a-domain and the c-axis of c-domains perpendicular to the substrate surface. Two-dimensional distribution of these domains is proposed and the formation of these kinds of domains is discussed. The surface morphology and phase transition process of single and multi domain PbTiO₃ film on SrTiO₃ were studied by atomic force microscope (AFM) and high temperature X-ray diffraction, respectively. Received: 15 August 1996/Accepted: 21 January 1997     

Elasticity effects on domain coarsening of the lamellar-gyroid transition observed in a nonionic surfactant system

The coarsening process of the gyroid phase of a nonionic surfactant system is investigated by time resolved small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small angle neutron Laue diffraction techniques. The time evolution of SANS patterns shows anomalous coarsening of the gyroid domains. The observed Laue spot from a gyroid domain becomes elongated along the radial direction with the elapse of time and at a certain time the elongated spot is split into two spots. The results can be interpreted as follows. During the coarsening process, mismatch of the lattice orientation at the domain boundary brings strong stress to the gyroid domain, resulting in the distortion of the domain. The stored stress in the domain finally brings splitting of the gyroid domain. The elastic and fragile nature of the gyroid domains composed of the "soft matter" is responsible for the anomalous coarsening.     

Effect of piezomagnetism on coupling of electric and magnetic domain walls in hexagonal manganites

The profiles of antiferromagnetic domain walls in hexagonal manganites RMnO₃ are obtained numerically depending on anisotropy and internal strain due to the lattice distortion at the ferroelectric domain walls. It is found that the piezomagnetism can lower the free energy of the system thus it favors the coupling between electric and magnetic domain walls. Due to the piezomagnetic effect, the clamped antiferromagnetic domain walls with spin orientation angle ψ changing from 0 to π have different profiles comparing with those of ψ changing from 0 to -π, and the former is energetically more favorable than the latter when the internal strain is tensile at the FEL domain walls while it is the contrary for compressive strain. Moreover, the strongest coupling between the FEL domain walls and the favorable AFM domain walls can be achieved at an optimized internal strain.     

Spontaneous phase transitions in ferrite garnet films

Spontaneous phase transitions in ferrite garnet films have been studied. It has been shown that, with variations in the temperature, domain walls undergo phase transitions which cause spontaneous phase transitions in the lattice of cylindrical magnetic domains. The phase transition in a domain wall causes a spin-reorientation phase transition over the whole sample near the magnetic compensation point. The character of the phase transition in the domain wall determines the mechanism of the spin-reorientation phase transition.     

Lattice-supported surface solitons in nonlocal nonlinear media

We reveal that lattice interfaces imprinted in nonlocal nonlinear media support surface solitons that do not exist in other similar settings, including interfaces of local and nonlocal uniform materials. We show the impact of nonlocality on the domains of existence and stability of the surface solitons, focusing on new types of dipole solitons residing partially inside the optical lattice. We find that such solitons feature strongly asymmetric shapes and that they are stable in large parts of their existence domain.     

Formation of two-dimensional lattices of magnetic domains in a harmonic magnetic field

New configurations of two-dimensional lattices of magnetic domains with symmetry described by the P2 and Cmm2 space groups are revealed in studying the formation of domain structures in a harmonic magnetic field. Two-dimensional lattices belonging to five space groups of the orthorhombic and hexagonal systems are observed in a single iron garnet film. Changes in the lattice configurations and in the lattice elements occur upon the variation of only one parameter of the applied magnetic field, namely, its frequency.     

Dense atom clouds in a holographic atom trap

We demonstrate the production of high-density cold 87Rb samples (2 x 10(14) atoms/cm3) in a simple optical lattice formed with YAG light that is diffracted from a holographic phase plate. A loading protocol is described that results in 10,000 atoms per 10 microm x 10 microm x 100 microm unit cell of the lattice site. Rapid free evaporation leads to a temperature of 50 microK and phase space densities of 1/150 within 50 ms. The resulting small, high-density atomic clouds are very attractive for a number of experiments, including ultracold Rydberg atom physics.     

Ordering and domains in tetragonal crystals of Ising spins coupled via dipolar interactions

Dipolar coupling in the body-centered tetragonal crystal of Ising spins that is a prototype of the Mn₁₂Ac molecular magnet favors ferromagnetic ordering below the mean-field Curie temperature 0.71 K. With the help of Monte Carlo on crystals of up to one million Mn₁₂ molecules, it is shown that ordering occurs at 0.36 K in elongated crystals. The resulting state is split into ferromagnetic domains with domain walls preferring the diagonal orientation. Domain walls are pinned by the lattice at low temperatures. Making the crystal shorter makes domains finer and smoothens out the singularity at the ordering transition, decreasing the susceptibility in the domain state.     

Equilibrium configurations and phase transitions in dipole lattices

Two-dimensional square and hexagonal lattices of magnetic dipoles with the number of rows 1–4 have been studied. Based on the numerical analysis, equilibrium stable domain configurations, including the minimum number of lattice dipoles, have been revealed; the conditions for the creation and destruction of domains have been determined; and their associated changes in the magnetic moment of the lattice and in the energy of the dipole interaction have been found. The conditions for the occurrence of phase transitions that change the configuration of the lattices have been investigated and the conditions for unidirectional propagation of the front of the phase transition have been established. A comparative analysis of different square and hexagonal lattices has been performed in terms of the specific features of the formed domains and the observed orientation phase transitions.