Tuning of the depolarization field and nanodomain structure in ferroelectric thin films

Abstract

The screening efficiency of a metal-ferroelectric interface plays a critical role in determining the polarization stability and hence the functional properties of ferroelectric thin films. Imperfect screening leads to strong depolarization fields that reduce the spontaneous polarization or drive the formation of ferroelectric domains. We demonstrate that by modifying the screening at the metal-ferroelectric interface through insertion of ultrathin dielectric spacers, the strength of the depolarization field can be tuned and thus used to control the formation of nanoscale domains. Using piezoresponse force microscopy, we follow the evolution of the domain configurations as well as polarization stability as a function of depolarization field strength.

19 pages, 7 figures

References in corpus (4)

• Fractal dimension and size scaling of domains in thin films of multiferroic BiFeO3
• Universal Properties of Ferroelectric Domains
• Monodomain to polydomain transition in ferroelectric PbTiO3 thin films with La0.67Sr0.3MnO3 electrodes
• Depletion layer-induced size effects in ferroelectric thin films: A Ginzburg-Landau model study

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• Non-Ising domain walls in c-phase ferroelectric lead titanate thin films
• Assessing the nature of nanoscale ferroelectric domain walls in lead titanate multilayers
• Creating currents of electric bubbles
• Control of polarization and polar chiral textures in BiFeO${}_3$ by epitaxial strain and interfacial chemistry
• Revival of Layered Ferroelectrics in Thin Films
• Interfacial phenomena in nanocapacitors with multifunctional oxides