Spectroscopic imaging in piezoresponse force microscopy: New opportunities for studying polarization dynamics in ferroel
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rospectives Articles
Spectroscopic imaging in piezoresponse force microscopy: New opportunities for studying polarization dynamics in ferroelectrics and multiferroics R.K. Vasudevan*, School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia S. Jesse, Y. Kim, A. Kumar, and S.V. Kalinin*, Centre for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TENNESSEE 37831 *Address all correspondence to R.K. Vasudevan and S.V. Kalinin at [email protected] and [email protected] (Received 23 April 2012; accepted 2 July 2012)
Abstract Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) has emerged as a powerful tool to characterize piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and multiferroic materials on the nanometer level. Much of the driving force for the broad adoption of PFM has been the intense research into piezoelectric properties of thin films, nanoparticles, and nanowires of materials as dissimilar as perovskites, nitrides, and polymers. Recent recognition of limitations of single-frequency PFM, notably topography-related cross-talk, has led to development of novel solutions such band-excitation (BE) methods. In parallel, the need for quantitative probing of polarization dynamics has led to emergence of complex time- and voltage spectroscopies, often based on acquisition and analysis of multidimensional datasets. In this perspective, we discuss the recent developments in multidimensional PFM, and offer several examples of spectroscopic techniques that provide new insight into polarization dynamics in ferroelectrics and multiferroics. We further discuss potential extension of PFM for probing ionic phenomena in energy generation and storage materials and devices.
I. Introduction Hysteretic polarization switching in ferroelectrics underpins a broad range of emergent information technology applications including nonvolatile memories,[1,2] field-effect devices,[3,4] and tunneling barriers.[5,6] Strong electromechanical coupling enables applications for microelectromechanical systems,[7] energy harvesters,[8,9] and a broad range of transducer applications.[10,11] In many of these applications, the key phenomenon exploited is polarization switching between antiparallel polarization states. In other applications, of interest are the subcoercive linear and nonlinear responses of ferroelectrics to applied stresses or fields. These properties are controlled by a combination of intrinsic (lattice) and extrinsic contributions,[12] with extrinsic contributions arising from motion of ferroelectric and ferroelastic domain walls. The motion of preexistent domain walls, polarization rotations,[13] and nucleation of new domains can contribute to both piezoelectric[14] and dielectric properties[15] of ferroelectric materials. Indeed, the extrinsic contributions dominate the dielectric and piezoelectric responses in ferroelectric ceramics and thin films.[16] As a result, a physical understanding of the mechanisms of polarization switching as well as associated domain wall dynamics at the nano
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