TY - JOUR
T1 - Polarization switching without domain formation at the intrinsic coercive field in ultrathin ferroelectric PbTiO3
AU - Highland, Matthew J.
AU - Fister, Timothy T.
AU - Richard, Marie Ingrid
AU - Fong, Dillon D.
AU - Fuoss, Paul H.
AU - Thompson, Carol
AU - Eastman, Jeffrey A.
AU - Streiffer, Stephen K.
AU - Stephenson, G. Brian
PY - 2010/10/12
Y1 - 2010/10/12
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77957915736&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.167601
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.167601
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77957915736
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 105
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 16
M1 - 167601
ER -