Electric-field-controlled directional growth of ferroelectric domains in multiferroic BiFeO3 films

摘要

We describe the directional growth of ferroelectric domains in a multiferroicBiFeO3 thin film, which was grown epitaxially on a vicinal (001) SrTiO3substrate. A detailed structural analysis of the film shows that a straingradient, which can create a symmetry breaking in a ferroelectric double wellpotential, causes ferroelectric domains to grow with preferred directionalityunder the influence of an electric field. Our results suggest the possibilityof controlling the direction of domain growth with an electric field byimposing constraints on ferroelectric films, such as a strain gradient.