Field enhancement of electronic conductance at ferroelectric domain walls.

ABSTRACT: Ferroelectric domain walls have continued to attract widespread attention due to both the novelty of the phenomena observed and the ability to reliably pattern them in nanoscale dimensions. However, the conductivity mechanisms remain in debate, particularly around nominally uncharged walls. Here, we posit a conduction mechanism relying on field-modification effect from polarization re-orientation and the structure of the reverse-domain nucleus. Through conductive atomic force microscopy measurements on an ultra-thin (001) BiFeO₃ thin film, in combination with phase-field simulations, we show that the field-induced twisted domain nucleus formed at domain walls results in local-field enhancement around the region of the atomic force microscope tip. In conjunction with slight barri

SUBMITTER: Vasudevan RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5673066 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature