Preface to special topic: Piezoresponse force microscopy and nanoscale phenomena in polar materials

摘要

In the 15 years since its inception,~1-3 piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and spectroscopy (PFS) has become the mainstream tool for characterization of the ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials on the nanoscale. According to a Web of Science search, ～40% of the experimental work in the field of piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials now utilize PFM as an imaging and characterization tool, to yield hundreds of publications in 2010 only.4 Beyond imaging and spectroscopy of ferroelectric materials, much attention is now attracted to combined studies of polarization-mediated conductivity phenomena. Originally explored in the capaci-