Ferroelectric Domain Structures in Monoclinic (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 Epitaxial Thin Films. Issue 6 (23rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Luo, Jin; Liu, Lisha; Zhang, Su-Wei; Li, Jing-Feng
• Is Part Of: Physica status solidi. Volume 15:Issue 6(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-04-23
• Subjects: charged domain walls -- (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 -- monoclinic phases -- sol–gel; Solid state physics -- Periodicals; 530.4105
• DOI: 10.1002/pssr.202100127
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1862-6254

Abstract

Abstract : Ferroelectric domain walls (DWs) are an important feature of ferroelectric materials and play a vital role in the ferroelectric materials, where charged DWs are a focus of extensive research due to their unique interfacial properties. Herein, epitaxial (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN)‐based thin films are prepared by a sol–gel method, and the monoclinic MC structure of the thin film is confirmed. Stripe‐shaped domain patterns with head‐to‐head and tail‐to‐tail charged DWs in the (110)pc and (1¯10)pc planes are observed in the KNN‐based epitaxial thin film. Although the screening of the bound charges in the charged DWs inevitably increases the energy of the system, the charged DWs in the KNN‐based epitaxial thin film are stabilized by the lattice mismatch strain between the thin film and the substrate. These interesting findings should shed light on the exploration of the functional charged DWs by strain engineering. Abstract : Stripe‐shaped charged domain walls (DWs) with head‐to‐head and tail‐to‐tail configurations are observed in the (K0.5 Na0.5 )NbO3 epitaxial thin film, which deploys monoclinic MC phase symmetry. The bound charges at the charged DWs are compensated by the screening effects from the film volume. Those charged DWs are stabilized by the anisotropic strain state of epitaxial films.