Evolution of the domain structure of triglycine sulphate single crystal in the vicinity of phase transition

Highly Anisotropic Tip-Induced Domain Growth in Polydomain Triglycine Sulfate

“…Triglycine sulfate ((NH 2 CH 2 COOH) 3 H 2 SO 4 , TGS) is a well-known uniaxial ferroelectric crystal widely used in infrared receivers and detectors due to its high pyroelectric properties. , The spontaneous polarization oriented along the b axis arises across a second-order phase transition at T C = 49 °C. TGS doping is widely used for tuning its Curie temperature and improvement of its pyroelectric properties. , The initial domain structure arising after the ferroelectric phase transition consists of antiparallel lamellar domains elongated in the direction perpendicular to the c axis. , The slow relaxation of such nonequilibrium structure leads to widening of lamellar domains. , Both lenticular and lamellar domains are elongated perpendicular to the c axis. , Crystals of the TGS family can be considered as the model ferroelectrics for studying the domain growth during local switching due to their low threshold fields and easy creation of atomically flat polar surfaces by sample cleavage. Moreover, low ferroelectric transition temperature and strong polarization change with temperature provide a unique possibility of studying the influence of screening retardation on domain kinetics.…”

“…21,22 The slow relaxation of such nonequilibrium structure leads to widening of lamellar domains. 23,24 Both lenticular and lamellar domains are elongated perpendicular to the c axis. 21,22 Crystals of the TGS family can be considered as the model ferroelectrics for studying the domain growth during local switching due to their low threshold fields and easy creation of atomically flat polar surfaces by sample cleavage.…”

“…22 However, various SPM techniques can be used: atomic force microscopy, 25 scanning force microscopy, 26 electrostatic force microscopy, 27 Kelvin probe force microscopy, 28 spreading-resistance mode, 28 and PFM. 24,28,29 Domain formation in TGS during local switching was studied by PFM. 30−34 The recently obtained formation of self-organized "granular" nanodomains has been attributed "to the interplay among bound charges, mobile H + ions at the surface, and the strong crystal anisotropy".…”

“…The domain structure imaging by polarizing optical microscopy is impossible in TGS . However, various SPM techniques can be used: atomic force microscopy, scanning force microscopy, electrostatic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, spreading-resistance mode, and PFM. ,, Domain formation in TGS during local switching was studied by PFM. − The recently obtained formation of self-organized “granular” nanodomains has been attributed “to the interplay among bound charges, mobile H + ions at the surface, and the strong crystal anisotropy” . Anisotropic growth of an isolated domain in TGS during local switching was attributed to the simultaneous realization of two nucleation mechanisms for domain growth along different crystallographic directions: stochastic nucleation for wall motion along the c direction and deterministic nucleation for wall motion along the a direction.…”