Ferroelectric and Structural Antiphase Domain and Domain Wall Structures in Y(Mn,Ti)O3

Abstract

We have investigated ferroelectric (FE) and structural antiphase (SAP) domains and domain wall structures at the atomic scale in hexagonal YMn1-xTixO3-δ by using aberration-corrected high-angle annular-dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) experiments, combining with the conventional TEM observation techniques. Atomic shifts of Y3+ and Mn3+ (Ti4+) in the FE and SAP domains and domain wall structures in YMn1-xTixO3-δ are successfully visualized at the atomic scale. When Ti4+ are substituted for Mn3+, the magnitude of the shifts of Y3+ is reduced and the regions without any displacement of Y3+ along the [001] direction dominated around x-0.40. Our experimental results clearly revealed that partial substitution of Ti4+ for Mn3+ suppress the magnitude of the shifts of Y3+ ions along the [001] direction and the FE properties tend to diminish with increasing the amount of Ti4+ in YMn1-xTixO3-δ.