Spontaneous vortex nanodomain arrays at ferroelectric heterointerfaces

Christopher T. Nelson, Benjamin Winchester, Yi Zhang, Sung Joo Kim, Alexander Melville, Carolina Adamo, Chad M. Folkman, Seung Hyub Baek, Chang Beom Eom, Darrell G. Schlom, Long Qing Chen, Xiaoqing Pan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

416 Scopus citations

Abstract

The polarization of the ferroelectric BiFeO3 sub-jected to different electrical boundary conditions by heterointerfaces is imaged with atomic resolution using a spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope. Unusual triangular-shaped nanodomains are seen, and their role in providing polarization closure is understood through phase-field simulations. Heterointerfaces are key to the performance of ferroelectric devices, and this first observation of spontaneous vortex nanodomain arrays at ferroelectric heterointerfaces reveals properties unlike the surrounding film including mixed Ising-Néel domain walls, which will affect switching behavior, and a drastic increase of in-plane polarization. The importance of magnetization closure has long been appreciated in multidomain ferromagnetic systems; imaging this analogous effect with atomic resolution at ferroelectric heterointerfaces provides the ability to see device-relevant interface issues. Extension of this technique to visualize domain dynamics is envisioned.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)828-834
Number of pages7
JournalNano Letters
Volume11
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 9 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • BiFeO
  • Ferroelectricity
  • multiferroic materials
  • structural characterization
  • transmission electron microscopy

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