V. Ya. Shur, V. A. Shikhova, D. V. Pelegov, A. V. Ievlev, L. I. Ivleva, “Formation of nanodomain ensembles during polarization reversal in Sr$_{0.61}$Ba$_{0.39}$Nb$_2$O$_6$ : Ce single crystals”, Fizika Tverdogo Tela, 2011, Volume 53, Issue 11,Pages 2195

Ferroelectricity

Formation of nanodomain ensembles during polarization reversal in Sr$_{0.61}$Ba$_{0.39}$Nb$_2$O$_6$ : Ce single crystals

V. Ya. Shur^a, V. A. Shikhova^a, D. V. Pelegov^a, A. V. Ievlev^a, L. I. Ivleva^b

^a Ural Federal University named after the First President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Ekaterinburg
^b Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Abstract: The results of the study of nano- and microdomain structure evolution in single crystals of relaxor ferroelectric strontium barium niobate Sr$_{0.61}$Ba$_{0.39}$Nb$_2$O$_6$ doped by cerium are presented. It was shown that the initial nanodomain structure represents a self-similar three-dimensional maze. The fractal dimension and average period were revealed. It was demonstrated that application of series of alternating electric field pulses makes it possible to produce a single-domain state in the surface layer. The features of the growth and “merging”, as well as the shape of ensembles of isolated nanodomains formed during switching from the single-domain state, were investigated. The formation of the nanodomain ensembles was considered as a result of the self-organized discrete switching controlled by determined nucleation.

Received: 10.05.2011