TY - JOUR
T1 - Nanoscale origins of nonlinear behavior in ferroic thin films
AU - Vasudevan, Rama K.
AU - Okatan, M. Baris
AU - Duan, Chen
AU - Ehara, Yoshitaka
AU - Funakubo, Hiroshi
AU - Kumar, Amit
AU - Jesse, Stephen
AU - Chen, Long Qing
AU - Kalinin, Sergei V.
AU - Nagarajan, Valanoor
PY - 2013/1/7
Y1 - 2013/1/7
N2 - The nonlinear response of a ferroic to an applied field has been studied through the phenomenological Rayleigh Law for over a hundred years. Yet, despite this, the fundamental physical mechanisms at the nanoscale that lead to macroscopic Rayleigh behavior have remained largely elusive, and experimental evidence at small length scales is limited. Here, it is shown using a combination of scanning probe techniques and phase field modeling, that nanoscale piezoelectric response in prototypical Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films appears to follow a distinctly non-Rayleigh regime. Through statistical analysis, it is found that an averaging of local responses can lead directly to Rayleigh-like behavior of the strain on a macroscale. Phase-field modeling confirms the twist of the ferroelastic interface is key in enhancing piezoelectric response. The studies shed light on the nanoscale origins of nonlinear behavior in disordered ferroics.
AB - The nonlinear response of a ferroic to an applied field has been studied through the phenomenological Rayleigh Law for over a hundred years. Yet, despite this, the fundamental physical mechanisms at the nanoscale that lead to macroscopic Rayleigh behavior have remained largely elusive, and experimental evidence at small length scales is limited. Here, it is shown using a combination of scanning probe techniques and phase field modeling, that nanoscale piezoelectric response in prototypical Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films appears to follow a distinctly non-Rayleigh regime. Through statistical analysis, it is found that an averaging of local responses can lead directly to Rayleigh-like behavior of the strain on a macroscale. Phase-field modeling confirms the twist of the ferroelastic interface is key in enhancing piezoelectric response. The studies shed light on the nanoscale origins of nonlinear behavior in disordered ferroics.
KW - Rayleigh law
KW - ferroelectric materials
KW - piezoresponse force microscopy
KW - thin films
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84871957276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/adfm.201201025
DO - 10.1002/adfm.201201025
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84871957276
SN - 1616-301X
VL - 23
SP - 81
EP - 90
JO - Advanced Functional Materials
JF - Advanced Functional Materials
IS - 1
ER -