Reconstruction of the ferroelectric domain structure morphology in BaTiO3 single crystals using Čerenkov-type second harmonic generation microscopy

Abstract

Domain structure arising as a result of surface polishing in the bulk of barium titanate BaTiO3 single crystal was imaged by polarized optical microscopy and Čerenkov-type second harmonic generation (ČSHG) microscopy, which allowed distinguishing between 90° and 180° domain walls. 3D-morphology of different domain patterns in the bulk was recovered using ČSHG images. The domain structure represented the stack of the intermitting needlelike a-domains with charged domain walls rarely crossed by the zigzag domain patterns with 180° walls. The used experimental technique can be used for understanding the domain kinetics in the multiaxial crystals.