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Polarization Switching without Domain Formation at the Intrinsic Coercive Field in Ultrathin Ferroelectric PbTiO3

Matthew J. Highland, Timothy T. Fister, Marie-Ingrid Richard, Dillon D. Fong, Paul H. Fuoss, Carol Thompson, Jeffrey A. Eastman, Stephen K. Streiffer, and G. Brian Stephenson
Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 167601 – Published 12 October 2010
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Abstract

Polarization switching in ferroelectrics has been thought to occur only through the nucleation and growth of new domains. Here we use in situ synchrotron x-ray scattering to monitor switching controlled by applied chemical potential. In sufficiently thin PbTiO3 films, nucleation is suppressed and switching occurs by a continuous mechanism, i.e., by uniform decrease and inversion of the polarization without domain formation. The observed lattice parameter shows that the electric field in the film during switching reaches the theoretical intrinsic coercive field.

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  • Received 6 June 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.167601

© 2010 The American Physical Society

Synopsis

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Master of no domain

Published 13 October 2010

Contrary to what is normally assumed, the polarization of sufficiently thin ferroelectrics can switch continuously, rather than through the formation of domains.

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Authors & Affiliations

Matthew J. Highland1, Timothy T. Fister1, Marie-Ingrid Richard1,2, Dillon D. Fong1, Paul H. Fuoss1, Carol Thompson3, Jeffrey A. Eastman1, Stephen K. Streiffer1, and G. Brian Stephenson1,*

  • 1Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
  • 2Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille, IM2NP, Faculté des Sciences de St Jérôme, 13397 Marseille, France
  • 3Department of Physics, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115, USA

  • *stephenson@anl.gov

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Issue

Vol. 105, Iss. 16 — 15 October 2010

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