Abstract
The present paper reviews models of domain structure in ferroelectric crystals, thin films and bulk materials. Common crystal structures in ferroelectric materials are described and the theory of compatible domain patterns is introduced. Applications to multi-rank laminates are presented. Alternative models employing phase-field and related techniques are reviewed. The paper then presents methods of observing ferroelectric domain structure, including optical, polarized light, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray and neutron diffraction, atomic force microscopy and piezo-force microscopy. Use of more than one technique for unambiguous identification of the domain structure is also described.
Highlights
After the discovery of dielectric hysteresis in Rochelle salt by Valasek [1], the study of ferroelectric crystals expanded into a major research field and numerous applications followed
We review theoretical descriptions of ferroelectric domain patterns and their evolution
Scanning non-linear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) is a contact mode technique in which the sample surface acts as a capacitance in a resonant LC circuit driven by an a.c. voltage applied to the probe tip
Summary
After the discovery of dielectric hysteresis in Rochelle salt by Valasek [1], the study of ferroelectric crystals expanded into a major research field and numerous applications followed. Major developments in piezoelectrics in the last two decades, such as the use of phase transformations in single crystals to achieve enhanced piezoelectric strains [3], and the development of strongly coupled lead-free piezoelectric ceramics [4], were experimentally led. In both cases, the discoveries rely on particular features of microstructural arrangement. Cohen [5] observed that, in the near future, predictive theory could lead the discovery of new ferroelectric materials While this observation referred mainly to the role of first-principles methods in understanding strong electromechanical coupling, recent advances in understanding and modelling microstructure may enable tailored material properties by design. The emphasis is on bulk single crystals; application to thin films and nano-scale devices is discussed
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