Single Crystal Growth and Hierarchical Ferroelectric Domain Structure of (1–x)BiFeO3-xPbTiO3 Solid Solutions

Abstract

Besides outstanding multiferroic performance, BiFeO3 has recently demonstrated a potential for novel promising applications in domain wall nanoelectronics employing domain walls with different functional properties. Rarely observed in ferroelectrics, charged domain walls are of special interest for such applications as they possess enhanced electric conductivity. In this work, single crystals of the multiferroic (1–x)BiFeO3-xPbTiO3 solid solution were successfully grown using a flux method. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction confirmed perovskite rhombohedral R3c and tetragonal P4mm phases in crystals with x ≈ 0.2 and x ≈ 0.6, respectively. The domain structure of crystals was established with the help of polarized light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and piezoresponse force microscopy. In tetragonal crystals, a complex hierarchical structure of 90° lamella domains is observed with the thickness of lamellae varying from dozens of nanometers to dozens of micrometers. In the rhombohe...