Depolarizing-field-mediated 180° switching in ferroelectric thin films with 90° domains

Journal Article

Roelofs, A., N.A. Pertsev, R. Waser, F. Schlaphof, L.M. Eng, C. Ganpule, V. Nagarajan, Ramamoorthy Ramesh

10.1063/1.1448653

Switching of the out-of-plane and in-plane polarizations in polydomain epitaxial PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 thin films is studied using three-dimensional piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). It is found that, under an electric field induced between the PFM tip and the bottom electrode, the 180° switching occurs in both c and a domains. After the removal of this field, the spontaneous reversal of the out-of-plane and in-plane polarizations back to the initial orientations takes place, evolving via heterogeneous development of antiparallel 180° domains. The switching of in-plane polarization inside a domains and the preferential formation of reversed 180° domains at 90° domain walls are explained by the effects of the depolarizing fields caused by transient polarization charges appearing on these domain walls. © 2002 American Institute of Physics.

Applied Physics Letters

80

2002

00036951

Ramesh Lab