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Ferroelectric Domain Patterning.
Self-assembling in Nanoscale
1
V.Ya. Shur1*
Ferroelectric Laboratory, Institute of Natural Sciences, Ural Federal University
51 Lenin Ave., Ekaterinburg, Russia, 620000
*e-mail: [email protected]
Formation of ordered ferroelectric domain structures has been studied using the domain visualization
methods with high spatial resolution. We reviewed various self-assembled quasi-regular nanodomain
structures formed during polarization reversal in highly non-equilibrium switching conditions caused by
ineffective bulk screening [1]. The obtained knowledge is important as for deeper understanding of the
domain kinetics, so for further development of domain engineering and memristive phenomena [2]. The
synergetic effect of joint usage of various experimental methods provides extracting of the unique
information about formation and evolution of the nanodomain structures. Optical microscopy, confocal
Raman microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and piezoelectric force microscopy were used for
domain visualization in the uniaxial ferroelectrics: lithium niobate LiNbO3, lithium tantalate LiTaO3, lead
germanate Pb5Ge3O11, and relaxor ferroelectric strontium-barium niobate SrxBa1-xNb2O6 [3]. The role of the
residual depolarization field in self-assembled formation of the micro- and nanodomain structures has been
revealed. The effects of domain wall shape instabilities and fingering as well as formation of nanodomains
in front of the moving wall have been studied and discussed [3]. The special attention has been paid to
formation of the nanoscale and dendrite domain structures in highly non-equilibrium switching conditions
[4]. The important role of ordering stimulated by correlated nucleation caused by spatial distribution of the
residual depolarization field in the vicinity of the domain wall or isolated nanodomains has been shown [5].
All obtained results have been considered in framework of the described kinetic approach to the domain
structure evolution based on the analogy of polarization reversal with the first order phase transition which
allows to explain the formation of the metastable domain patterns. Almost any non-equilibrium domain
structure can be stabilized by screening of the depolarization field. Thus the screening ineffectiveness is the
key factor defining the domain shape instabilities and formation of the nanodomain structures. It was
shown that the screening retardation leads to formation of self-assembled nanodomain structures.
The equipment of the Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern Nanotechnology” UrFU was used. The research
was made possible by Russian Scientific Foundation (Grant 14-12-00826) and by the Ministry of Education
and Science of the Russian Federation (Agreement 14.594.21.0011, UID RFMEFI59414X0011).
1. Kinetics of ferroelectric domains: application of general approach to LiNbO3 and LiTaO3, Shur VYa,
J. Mater. Sci., 41, 199 (2006).
2. Ionic field effect and memristive phenomena in single-point ferroelectric domain switching, Ievlev AV,
Morozovska AN, Eliseev EA, Shur VYa and Kalinin SV, Nature Comm., 5, 4545 (2014).
3. Micro- and nanodomain imaging in uniaxial ferroelectrics: joint application of optical, confocal Raman
and piezoelectric force microscopy, Shur VYa and Zelenovskiy PS, J. Appl. Phys., 116, 066802 (2014).
4. Shape of isolated domains in lithium tantalate single crystals at elevated temperatures, Shur VYa,
Akhmatkhanov AR, Chezganov DS, Baturin IS, Smirnov MM, Appl. Phys. Lett., 103, 242903 (2013).
5. Intermittency, quaziperiodicity, and chaos during scanning probe microscopy tip-induced ferroelectric
domain switching, Ievlev AV, Jesse S, Morozovska AN, Strelcov E, Eliseev EA, Pershin YV, Kumar A,
Shur VYa and Kalinin SV, Nature Phys., 10, 59 (2014).
Curriculum Vitae
Prof. Vladimir Ya. Shur has received his M.Sc. degree in Physics and Ph.D. degree in Solid State Physics
from the Gorkii Ural State University, Ekaterinburg, Russia. Dissertation of Doctor of Science (habilitation)
has been defended on 03.1990. Since 1981 he is the Head of Ferroelectrics Lab, Institute of Physics &
Applied Mathematics, Ural State University (now Ural Federal University). Since 1992 - professor of the
Chair of Computer Physics, Ural State University. Since 2007 – director of the Ural Center for Shared Use
“Modern Nanotechnology”, Ural Federal University. He is the Honorary Worker of High Professional
Education of Russian Federation.
He was invited and plenary lecturer at more than 100 International Conferences and Scientific Schools;
visiting professor and researcher of Universities and Scientific Institutes worldwide: Stanford University and
Penn-State University, USA; Darmstadt Technical University and IWE RWTH Aachen, Germany; University
Nice - Sophia Antipolis and University of Toulon and Var, France; National Institute for Materials Science,
Tsukuba, Japan.
Prof. Vladimir Shur has long-lasting successful experience of research in ferroelectrics. Original
experimental techniques and methods of domain structure analysis with high spatial and time resolution
developed by research team, allowed to obtain set of results with global priority: (1) complex study of
polarization reversal in single crystals of LN and LT family; (2) in situ study of domain structure evolution in
uniaxial ferroelectrics during polarization reversal; (3) computer simulation of domain structure evolution
based on kinetic approach; (4) application of scanning probe microscopy techniques for domain structure
visualization with nano-scale spatial resolution and nanodomain manipulations; (5) application of scanning
electron microscopy for domain structure visualization and domain patterning with spatial resolution about
2 nm.
Prof. Vladimir Shur has supervised 21 Ph.D. theses and his group currently comprises 12 Ph.D. students.
He is the author of more than 250 publications in leading scientific journals, including Nature Physics,
Nature Communications, ACS Nano, Advanced Materials and Physical Review Letters, 6 Chapters of Joint
Monographs. He holds 7 patents. He is Editorial Board Member of International Journals “Integrated
Ferroelectrics” and “Ferroelectrics”, Editor of “Journal of Advanced Dielectrics” and a Guest Editor of 15
volumes of “Ferroelectrics” (2006-2015).