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3D polarization texture of a symmetric 4-fold flux closure domain in strained ferroelectric PbTiO3 films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 July 2016

Y.L. Tang
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Y.L. Zhu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Z.J. Hong
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
E.A. Eliseev
Affiliation:
Institute for Problems of Materials Science, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03142, Ukraine
A.N. Morozovska
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv 03028, Ukraine
Y.J. Wang
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Y. Liu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Y.B. Xu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
B. Wu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
L.Q. Chen
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
S.J. Pennycook
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117576, Singapore
X.L. Ma*
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Although the strong coupling of polarization to spontaneous strain in ferroelectrics would impart a flux-closure with severe disclination strains, recent studies have successfully stabilized such a domain via a nano-scaled multi-layer growth. Nonetheless, the detailed distributions of polarizations in three-dimensions (3D) and how the strains inside a flux closure affect the structures of domain walls are still less understood. Here we report a 3D polarization texture of a 4-fold flux closure domain identified in tensile strained ferroelectric PbTiO3/SrTiO3 multilayer films. Ferroelectric displacement analysis based on aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopic imaging reveals highly inhomogeneous strains with strain gradient above 107/m. These giant disclination strains significantly broaden the 90° domain walls, while the flexoelectric coupling at 180° domain wall is less affected. The present observations are helpful for understanding the basics of topological dipole textures and indicate novel applications of ferroelectrics through engineering strains.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 

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Footnotes

Contributing Editor: Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski

References

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