Nanosecond Domain Wall Dynamics in FerroelectricPb(Zr,Ti)O3Thin Films

Abstract

Domain wall motion during polarization switching in ferroelectric thin films is fundamentally important and poses challenges for both experiments and modeling. We have visualized the switching of a Pb(Zr, Ti)O(3) capacitor using time-resolved x-ray microdiffraction. The structural signatures of switching include a reversal in the sign of the piezoelectric coefficient and a change in the intensity of x-ray reflections. The propagation of polarization domain walls is highly reproducible from cycle to cycle of the electric field. Domain wall velocities of 40 m s(-1) are consistent with the results of other methods, but are far less than saturation values expected at high electric fields.

A testbed for high voltage, high bandwidth characterization of nonlinear dielectrics

“…The signature P-E hysteresis loop of ferroelectrics, however, is generally measured under low-current conditions. Existing work on the exposure and response of FEs to brief high-field pulses has focused on thin films under large electric fields but low voltages [1][2][3], and it has been well established that the differences in chemical, interface, and strain conditions contribute to significant differences in the observed response(s) between thin films and bulk ceramics. In order to help fill the significant knowledge gap associated with the dynamic response of NLD, this paper describes the design and construction of a custom test bed for accurate measurement of this nonlinear response of high permittivity bulk ceramics in the large electric field and high frequency regimes.…”

Piezoresponse Force Microscopy Studies of Switching Behavior of Ferroelectric Capacitors on a 100-ns Time Scale

“…Clearly, to determine how the intrinsic switching behavior changes as a function of the capacitor size and to achieve better theoretical interpretation of the experimental data, direct studies of the domain switching kinetics in confined ferroelectric structures are necessary. A major limitation in acquiring this crucial information is the lack of experimental methods to characterize the domain kinetics in ferroelectric thin films [12,13]. The lateral dimensions of the ferroelectric capacitors in FeRAM devices are in the micrometer range with the switching times measuring well below 100 ns [14,15], which requires testing of domain switching behavior with the nanometer spatial and nanosecond time resolutiondone for the first time in this Letter.…”

Collective Coherent Control: Synchronization of Polarization in FerroelectricPbTiO3by Shaped THz Fields

“…This is exploited extensively in ferroelectric memory devices, so the dynamics of domain switching have been of technological as well as fundamental interest. There is great experimental interest in rapid ferroelectric polarization switching under strong electric fields, with most experimental approaches limited to the thin film regime [7,[15][16][17]. Most studies of polarization reversal focus on domain wall properties and dynamics under the influence of an electric field that is applied through electrodes at the sample surfaces [13,18,19].…”