Figure 2: Cyclic ferroelectric switching.
From: Revealing the role of defects in ferroelectric switching with atomic resolution
This region of the PZT film, prepoled to P[001], undergoes cyclic switching using an 18 Vpeak−peak triangle wave. (a) The negative and (b) positive switching branches are shown by contour plots of the domain outline versus time with selected corresponding TEM images shown below. (a) During the negative branch a P[00[macr1]] domain nucleates at the top surface and expands to a final width of ~250 nm. (b) On the subsequent positive branch P[001] domains nucleate at the bottom interface and expand across the film in a single time step. Scale bars, 100 nm. (c) Domain wall velocities for the negative switching branch along the vertical (black) and lateral (left-red and right-blue) directions. (d) Vertical and lateral domain wall velocities for the positive switching branch. (e) A ferroelectric hysteresis loop of domain area versus bias for the switching cycle containing a and b. The line colours in sequence correspond to the initial negative switching (black), negative saturation (red), positive switching (yellow), positive saturation (blue) and the second negative switching event (green).
