BiFeO3 (BFO) is one of the most widely studied magneto-electric multiferroics. The magneto-electric coupling in BiFeO3, which allows for the control of the ferroelectric and magnetic domain structures via applied electric fields, can be used to incorporate BiFeO3 into novel spintronics devices and sensors. Before BiFeO3 can be integrated into such devices, however, a better understanding of the dynamics of ferroelectric switching, particularly in the vicinity of extended defects, is needed. We use in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to investigate the response of ferroelectric domains within BiFeO3 thin films to applied electric fields at high temporal and spatial resolution. This technique is well suited to imaging the observed intermediate ferroelectric switching regimes, which occur on a time- and length-scale that are too fine to study via conventional scanning-probe techniques. Additionally, the spatial resolution of transmission electron microscopy allows for the direct study of the dynamics of domain nucleation and propagation in the presence of structural defects. In this article, we show how this high resolution technique captures transient ferroelectric structures forming during biasing, and how defects can both pin domains and act as a nucleation source. The observation of continuing domain coalescence over a range of times qualitatively agrees with the nucleation-limited-switching model proposed by Tagantsev et al. We demonstrate that our in situ transmission electron microscopy technique is well-suited to studying the dynamics of ferroelectric domains in BiFeO3 and other ferroelectric materials. These biasing experiments provide a real-time view of the complex dynamics of domain switching and complement scanning-probe techniques.
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1 September 2012
Research Article|
September 04 2012
Accessing intermediate ferroelectric switching regimes with time-resolved transmission electron microscopy
Christopher R. Winkler;
Christopher R. Winkler
1Department of Materials Science & Engineering,
Drexel University
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Michael L. Jablonski;
Michael L. Jablonski
1Department of Materials Science & Engineering,
Drexel University
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Anoop R. Damodaran;
Anoop R. Damodaran
2Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory,
University of Illinois
, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
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Karthik Jambunathan;
Karthik Jambunathan
2Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory,
University of Illinois
, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
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Lane W. Martin;
Lane W. Martin
2Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory,
University of Illinois
, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
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Mitra L. Taheri
Mitra L. Taheri
a)
1Department of Materials Science & Engineering,
Drexel University
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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Christopher R. Winkler
1
Michael L. Jablonski
1
Anoop R. Damodaran
2
Karthik Jambunathan
2
Lane W. Martin
2
Mitra L. Taheri
1,a)
1Department of Materials Science & Engineering,
Drexel University
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
2Department of Materials Science & Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory,
University of Illinois
, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61820, USA
a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: [email protected].
J. Appl. Phys. 112, 052013 (2012)
Article history
Received:
March 01 2012
Accepted:
July 11 2012
Citation
Christopher R. Winkler, Michael L. Jablonski, Anoop R. Damodaran, Karthik Jambunathan, Lane W. Martin, Mitra L. Taheri; Accessing intermediate ferroelectric switching regimes with time-resolved transmission electron microscopy. J. Appl. Phys. 1 September 2012; 112 (5): 052013. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4746082
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