Dimensionality increase of the ferroelectric domain shape by pulse laser irradiation

We present the discovered 1D to 2D domain shape transformation representing creation of the array of isolated domains from the stripe one as a result of irradiation by two infra-red laser pulses.

The optical domain imaging at the irradiated polar surface reveals the appearance of the stripe domains after the first pulse and their transformation into the regular arrays of isolated circular domains after the second pulse. The domain imaging in the bulk by Cherenkov-type second harmonic microscopy reveals the transformation of the comb-like domain to array of isolated conical domains.

The obtained effect has been attributed to domain kinetics under the action of two pyroelectric field pulses. The cooling after the first laser pulse leads to formation of the comb-like domains with flat domain walls at the surface and jugged charged domain walls in the bulk. The heating by the second laser pulse leads to formation of the quasi-regular array of the isolated conical domains because of domain breaking.

The formation of the comb-like domains by regular tooth generations was attributed to cyclic process of new spikes generation when the depolarization field at the tilted charged domain wall overcomes the threshold value.1,2 The simulated temporal dependence of the spatial distribution of the excess of the polar component of pyroelectric field over the threshold value during the sample heating and cooling allowed to explain the shape transformation.3 It was shown that the regular arrays of isolated domains appeared due to propagation of the charged domain wall to the surface.3 The effect of dimensionality increase is similar to known creation of the magnetic bubbles.

The equipment of the Ural Center for Shared Use “Modern nanotechnology” Ural Federal University (Reg.№ 2968) which is supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education RF (Project № 075-15-2021-677) was used. The research was made possible by Russian Science Foundation (Project № 19-12-00210).

1 V.Y. Shur, et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 77, 3636 (2000).

2 A.A. Esin, A.R. Akhmatkhanov, V.Y. Shur, Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 092901 (2019).

3 V.Ya. Shur, et al, Acta Materialia, 219, 117270 (2021).