New liquid-crystal method for revealing ferroelectric domains

Abstract

It was found that a layer of the nematic liquid crystal p-N-(p-Methoxybenzylidene) amino n-butylbenzen, extended on a triglycine sulfate crystal, takes on an orientational pattern which delineates the polarized domain structures. This technique quickly delineates domain structures in great detail and can be used on a wide variety of ferroelectric crystals. It is even applicable to a uniaxial regular type in which a domain structure cannot be detected by ordinary optical methods. The new method and the ordinary carbon powder pattern technique were compared on a triglycine sulfate crystal.

Domain Pattern Evolution in Polarization Reversal of Telluric Acid Ammonium Phosphate Crystals

“…[4,5]. To observe the domains we used the nematic phase of p-methoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (MBBA) and p-ethoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (EBBA) mixtures.…”

Polarization switching in (CH3NH3)5Bi2Cl11 ferroelectric crystals

“…The crystal undergoes phase transformation from the paraelectric to the ferroelectric phase at T C ~ 307 K changing its symmetry from P cab to the P ca 2 1 space group [6,7]. To observe optically indistinguishable 180° domains a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) decoration technique was used [8,9]. This method allows to obtain dynamic images of domain structure during the electrical treatment.…”

Polarization relaxation in (CH3NH3)5Bi2Br11 ferroelectric crystals

“…The optically indistinguishable 180° domains were observed by the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) decoration technique [16,17]. The NLC mixture of p-methoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (MBBA) and pethoxybenzylidene-p-n-butylaniline (EBBA) was used.…”