Ferroelectric Domain Pattern of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-33%PbTiO3 Measured by Using Piezoresponse Force Microscopy

Abstract

Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) is commonly used for studying the polarization domain pattern in ferroelectric materials. Generally, lateral PFM images are recorded at least twice (along two orthogonal directions), in addition to the vertical data, in order to fully specify the orientation of the spontaneous polarization vector. A single scan is shown to be enough to determine the polarization vector of the domains if the scanning direction is judicially chosen and the intrinsic piezoelectric coefficients are properly utilized. The domain pattern appearing on the (001) surface of the rhombohedral ferroelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-33%PbTiO3 is completely determined from a single can along a direction 15 degrees off the [100] axis.