Article abstract
Nature Materials 3, 453 - 457 (2004)
doi:10.1038/nmat1151
Investigation of twin-wall structure at the nanometre scale using atomic force microscopy
Doron Shilo1, Guruswami Ravichandran1 and Kaushik Bhattacharya1
Abstract
The structure of twin walls and their interaction with defects has important implications for the behaviour of a variety of materials including ferroelectric, ferroelastic, co-elastic and superconducting crystals. Here, we present a method for investigating the structure of twin walls with nanometre-scale resolution. In this method, the surface topography measured using atomic force microscopy is compared with candidate displacement fields, and this allows for the determination of the twin-wall thickness and other structural features. Moreover, analysis of both complete area images and individual line-scan profiles provides essential information about local mechanisms of twin-wall broadening, which cannot be obtained by existing experimental methods. The method is demonstrated in the ferroelectric material PbTiO3, and it is shown that the accumulation of point defects is responsible for significant broadening of the twin walls. Such defects are of interest because they contribute to the twin-wall kinetics and hysteresis.
- Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
Correspondence to: Doron Shilo1 e-mail: doronsh@caltech.edu
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Atomic force microscopy Pinning down the thickness of twin wallsNature Materials News and Views (01 Jul 2004)
RESEARCH
Diagnostic Ionizing Radiation Exposure in a Population-Based Sample of Children With Inflammatory Bowel DiseasesThe American Journal of Gastroenterology Article Response
Domain switching in polycrystalline ferroelectric ceramicsNature Materials Article (01 Oct 2005)
Giant sharp and persistent converse magnetoelectric effects in multiferroic epitaxial heterostructuresNature Materials Letter (01 May 2007)
Optical nanocrystallography with tip-enhanced phonon Raman spectroscopyNature Nanotechnology Letter (01 Aug 2009)
See all 15 matches for Research
